The Landsborough Murders
by Cats070911
Summary: When a whole village perishes in mysterious circumstances, Hillier assigns DI Barbara Havers team to the case. It is soon clear that there is far more to these murders, and soon she and the Media Liasion Superintendent, Tommy Lynley, are chasing a sophisticated group of political terrorists into the icy wilds of an eerie yet beautiful land.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** all usual disclaimers apply. I hadn't intended to publish this so soon, but I am being 'blackmailed' by Tess. Chapters will not be forthcoming daily as I have exams to study for...

* * *

The newly promoted Detective Sergeant Nkata lined up his pens, stapler and PC on his new desk. Tired of being located where people could sneak up on him, he had seized his opportunity to be at the head of the row as soon as his old sergeant had vacated it.

"Stop preening, Winston."

He looked up to see his boss grinning at him. He raised his eyebrow. "How's your office, Inspector?"

"Shut up. I don't like it. Feels like I'm in his grave."

"Awkward. If he dies anytime soon he might want it back."

Barbara Havers glared at her partner. "Don't even joke about it."

Winston looked down. "Sorry. You know that..."

"Yes. Sorry, Winston. I'm just having trouble getting used to the idea that, well..."

"That you're the boss now?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. Everyone here thinks you're great. And I was flattered that you chose me to be your new partner."

"It was you or Guthrie, and he has..." Barbara leant close to Winston. "Personal hygiene issues."

"You mean his arse is like a balloon filled with H2S. One blurt is lethal."

They quietly sniggered. As if on cue, Guthrie walked out from the male toilet and waved. Winston and Barbara waved back then both hurried into Barbara's office before beginning to laugh. They took a minute to collect themselves. Guthrie's bowels were legendary around The Met and from what Barbara could gather, were the main reason that after nearly thirty years he was still a constable. When Hillier had assigned him to her team she had initially resented it, but he was a good detective, so long as you stayed upwind and did not share a vehicle.

The harsh bell of her phone brought them back to sensibility. "Havers... Yes, Sir... With Guthrie and Nkata, yes, Sir." She put the handset gently back on its cradle. "We've been summoned to Hillier."

Winston' face fell. "Do you think someone heard us?"

Barbara frowned. "Probably."

"Just when I finally had a decent desk."

"Relax. I was teasing you. Stuart's requested help to investigate some suspicious deaths."

"Lafferty went to Gloucestershire somewhere," Winston said as they started to walk towards the lifts.

"Great a road trip." Barbara looked around the office. "Where's DC Guthrie?"

"In the loo, ma'am." Barbara did not miss the long-suffering tone of the young female constable who sat next to Guthrie.

"Tell him to come up to Assistant Commissioner Hillier's office please."

* * *

Three other senior officers were already in Hillier's office, sitting in the only chairs. AC Cameron was the head of Counter Terrorism and Commander Brady was his deputy. The stern-faced woman in the corner was the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Specialist Operations, Yolanda Trussforth. Barbara and Winston exchanged quick frowns. Hillier looked up from his computer. "Ah, where's Guthrie?"

"He's indisposed, Sir. He'll be here shortly."

The door opened. "Sorry, I'm late, Sir."

Barbara turned and smiled as Detective Superintendent Tommy Lynley strode in. Her former boss looked resplendent in his dress uniform with his cap tucked under his arm. Her smile was answered with only a quick nod. She knew immediately that something serious was happening.

"Lynley, good. How did the media respond?"

"They smell a story. We have already had reporters arriving at the village. The local police have established a cordon a quarter of a mile around it, but they can easily slip past them tonight across the fields. We have despatched reinforcements. They should arrive in Landsborough within the hour."

"Landsborough?" Barbara looked at Hillier. "Sir, what's going on?"

"Haven't you seen the news, Havers?"

"No, Sir."

Hillier pushed the button on his remote. Tommy's face appeared on the screen. As the head of the new Media Liaison Unit, he had become a regular spokesperson on London television. Barbara knew that her rather suave, yet believable, former partner had been chosen to repair the Met's image after two disastrous weeks a few months ago were senior officers had been ambushed by the media and made to look incompetent. That charge had been extended to the whole force when detectives from another team had failed to apprehend a network of serial killers who were preying on teenagers. Hillier had responded by reassigning the case to Lynley and Havers. Within four days they had made seven arrests and Lynley had become a media darling.

Barbara knew that Tommy hated being the mouthpiece for the Met, but had accepted the role with equanimity, understanding that the Met's good reputation was a key to gaining public support. They both knew his more than acceptable looks, smooth voice and the way he held himself had played a role but he had refused to accept that his title, as Eighth Earl of Asherton, was of any consequence. Barbara knew that Tommy was not that naive, just stubborn, but she had agreed with him that if they wanted to work together again, they had to play the game for a while. Tommy was far too good a detective to be sidelined for long.

She turned her attention to the screen. "And so until we establish the cause of death and identity of all the victims and notify their relatives, we ask that the privacy of the village be respected. To that end, we have placed a cordon around Landsborough to facilitate the movement of police and emergency services. I am heading to the village shortly, and will hold a press conference at the media tent in four hours."

Hillier flicked off the television. "Thank you, Lynley. That should buy us time."

Barbara turned to Tommy. "Sir? What's going on?"

Before he could answer, Hillier cut in. "At this stage Havers, we are not..."

The door squeaked open and everyone turned to look at Guthrie sauntering casually into the room. "Ah," he said as all eyes bored into him. "Sorry, a touch of tummy trouble."

Barbara groaned. She was beginning to understand why Tommy had often been frustrated by her frankness in similar situations. Hillier glared at them both. "As I was saying, we are not sure. A man visiting his mother in Landsborough found her, along with most of the village, dead in the church hall. He suspected a gas leak or something similar, but he also died shortly after the police arrived. Those constables also fell ill with serious breathing issues and are currently in isolation in hospital, and may not survive the day. We have isolated the village and sent in hazmat officers and Stuart Lafferty, to establish the cause of their deaths and to determine what action is required. So far we have 64 dead."

"Bloody hell! So where does my team fit in?"

Hillier started to answer, but AC Cameron cut across him. "We need to have people on the ground if we find something evil is behind this event."

Barbara looked across at Tommy. "Something evil?"

"We don't want to create fear by sending Counter Terrorism officers, or find it is an event that has been staged to draw them away from London. At the moment it is being portrayed as a tragic gas leak. It is plausible to have a CID team there, and Lynley suggested your team because he knows and trusts you."

Tommy gave her a half shrug but his eyes, to her at least, betrayed his satisfaction in manipulating the situation to work with her again. "As we have worked together before, I thought it might be expedient."

She nodded, knowing he was itching to be back doing investigative work. "Of course, Sir. Will you be heading the investigation?"

"No, he will not," Hillier said firmly. "Superintendent Lynley is media liaison and your link back here to us. I understand he will want to get involved. But nothing more than brainstorming with you. If I hear Lynley that you're interviewing witnesses or any other activities, I will recall you to Scotland Yard. Is that clear to both of you?"

"Yes, Sir," they answered in unison.

"Good. Now Havers, take your team and drive up there. I expect you might be gone two or three days."

"DI Havers, as you're not familiar with the case, why don't you drive up with me? We will need two cars anyway, so your team could drive up the other vehicle."

"Yes, Sir," Winston said through clenched teeth. Barbara shrugged an apology, and he rolled his eyes. She knew she would be paying him back for weeks.

* * *

"I've missed this, Barbara," Tommy said as he pulled out of the car park.

"Yeah, me too. I'm glad you suggested us driving together. I was not looking forward to being gassed by Guthrie. Perhaps he was in Landsborough church hall?"

"Barbara!"

"Admit it, it was a bit funny."

"I'm admitting nothing. Is he still as bad?"

"Worse."

Tommy looked across and smiled. "We should have dinner soon."

"It's not even lunchtime."

"No, I mean after the case. I miss watching you eat."

"So what do you miss about your former partner Superintendent Lynley? I miss her eating. What sort of answer is that? Not, I miss her incisive mind, or I miss her interview skills. No, I miss watching her eat."

Tommy glanced over. "I miss everything. I miss not having you by my side. I miss bickering with you. I miss your opinions, justified or not, and I miss the way you treat me as someone normal, and not some pin-up boy."

"You're way past being a pin-up boy."

"Thanks very much. I thought it was you that told me it was my looks and voice that got me this job."

"Among other things."

"You can't have it both ways, Havers."

"Let's just say that you appeal to an older audience who do not decorate their walls with posters of strange men."

He grinned at her. "I'm not that strange."

"That, Sir, is a highly debatable point."

Tommy laughed. "This will be good, investigating again."

"Hang on, you heard Hillier. This is _my_ team's case. I am happy to liaise but I am not going to piss Hillier off already or have you take over. How would that look to the team?"

"Spoiled sport."

"It'll still be us. I have a feeling about this case." She gave him a soft smile that made him swallow.

"So do I, and not a good one. But at least we're together again."

She looked over and nodded. "Yeah, we are."

* * *

Barbara returned to the operations tent set up as their headquarters. She flopped into a chair next to Lynley. "Those gas masks are horrid and hellishly hot."

"What did you learn?"

"Not much. Some sort of chemical Stuart thinks. Inhale it and then it eats away some sort of membrane in the lungs and you stop breathing."

"You didn't inhale any did you?"

She frowned at him. "Yeah, I ripped off my mask and shouted, kill me, gas. Of course, I didn't breathe any in."

"Sorry, it's just... I worry. It's been hell these last weeks knowing you're out there and I'm not there for you."

"Sir?"

"Sorry."

"You've been in that office too long. And I don't need protecting. Now, do you want to hear what else I've learned or not?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen. When we have more information, we will release it as soon as we can."

Tommy blinked rapidly as a bright television light tried to scald his retina. The journalists were shouting questions and complaining about not being allowed into Landsborough Village. They had not accepted the official line about an unfortunate gas leak that had been the initial official response. It had not taken long for experiences news hounds to discover that the village was not connected to mains gas. Rumours began to circulate on SkyNews that something sinister was afoot. When the US channels picked it up, it soon became a choice between nuclear radiation leaks form a power plant or a mutant form of animal flu. CNN even suggested an Ebola breakout.

"Ebola?" Barbara said as Tommy entered the tent and threw his hat onto the desk.

Lynley had remained calm during the press conference, but now he was ready to explode. "That came from an American expert living in Gloucester who knew a nurse from Landsborough. Apparently she had returned from Africa last week."

"Africa is a big continent. Was she near The Congo?"

"Visiting friends in Capetown."

Barbara began to laugh. "Sorry, but..."

"Hmm. Easy to see you're not the one dressed like an organ grinder's monkey having to smile at the vultures."

* * *

Barbara turned away from him, so that her sniggering would be less apparent. She had a sudden urge to pet the monkey, and run her fingers through his hair. "Mmmm."

"Mmmm? I didn't want you to enjoy watching me suffer."

Barbara turned back. "Not suffer, no. But..."

"But what?" he snapped.

"You are very good at it. You look so... professional in your uniform."

"I'd rather stand there naked if it meant I was a detective again."

"Yeah, that'd be wonderful. Truly wonderful." She was back in Cambridge staring at his naked form in the shower. When she refocused, Tommy was looking quizzically at her. Sprung. "Er, if you were a detective again. That would be wonderful."

"Mmm." Tommy did not sound convinced, and had a slightly mischievous glint in his eye. She felt her face blushing, and knew he had, at least partially, read her thoughts.

* * *

It was another hour before they had any substantial leads. Fast-tracking the lab work, SOCO had confirmed that trace amounts of a weapons-grade biological agent had been found in the hall traced to an artificial flower arrangement near the entrance. Four random bodies selected for autopsy by Stuart had revealed the same cause of death. All had died from respiratory failure.

"It's exactly what I would expect." Stuart's voice crackled over the speaker phone. "The victims would have felt symptoms like the onset of flu before their lungs slowly shut down."

Barbara was relieved it was relatively painless. "So peaceful?"

"Yes, tiredness, yawning, a few aches and pains then probably sleepiness, unconsciousness then death. That's why most of them were still sitting in their seats."

"Any idea where the chemical came from?" Lynley asked, earning a stern look from Barbara to remind him of his role.

"East Germany."

Barbara frowned. "Sorry?"

"It was developed by the East German regime back in the 1960s as a biological weapon. Everyone thought all stocks had been destroyed. It seems not."

"Are you saying Landsborough was targeted by Communists from fifty years ago?" Winston asked.

"No, not directly. I am saying whoever did this had access to that material."

"Or knew how to make it." Everyone turned to look at Guthrie.

Barbara bit her lip in thought. "I'm not sure which is a scarier prospect. So, Stuart, any clues as to where to look for this stuff."

"Black market. Dark web. Everything is for sale if you know where to look. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue."

Barbara frowned. "Okay, thanks, Stuart. Ask around, if you learn anything more let me know. Winston, get onto the tech boys, see if they have any ideas about where to look. Guthrie, see what you can find out about the history of this stuff. Where it was developed, tested, disposed of etc. Anything about it. Also check if any groups have ever used it or threatened to, or have ever even mentioned it. I'm going to try to interview the colleagues of the first responder. Sir, maybe as Police Liaison, they would feel the love if you came along."

Tommy looked up and smiled. "If you think it will help."

"We'll reconvene in two hours. Then unless we have anything pressing, we should call it a night and start again first thing."

"Yes, ma'am," Guthrie said as the others nodded.

* * *

Barbara was happy for Tommy to drive as it gave her time to think. The enormity of the task was beginning to weigh on her shoulders.

"You handle the team very well."

"Huh? Oh... thanks. I just try to do whatever you didn't."

"Wh... haha."

She smiled at him. "Nah, I just think, what would you do, then do it. So, what would you do now?"

"What you're doing. We might have to consider involving MI6. We can see what we uncover first."

* * *

In a small station of only three officers there are no secrets. There is also no separation between work and life. The two remaining officers had been close mates of the constable who had investigated and later died.

"It could have been any of us that went," the young redheaded constable said.

"Bob just got the short straw. It's not fair. This is a quiet area. We don't even get drink drivers or speed problems here," his dark haired mate added.

"I know. I'm sorry, but we have to ask these questions. Was there anything about the call that seemed unusual?"

"Everything, but it sounded like a gas leak. We didn't know the hall was full. Turns out there was some sort of meeting about raising funds for the church roof. Who would want to target that?"

"Indeed," Barbara said, not wanting to speculate about militant atheists. "Anyone ever come to your attention regarding the town? Any grudges? Anyone in town you think might be a target?"

The officers shook their heads.

"What about residents?" Tommy asked. "Any known criminals? Anyone foreign living there?"

"Foreign?" the redhead asked, "you mean like someone from Wales?"

"Or anywhere?"

"Nah, not that I know of. Bill?"

"There was a German woman married to Mr Green. But she's in, or was in, her seventies. Other than that, no one I can think of."

Barbara scribbled Mrs Green's details in her notebook. "Well, thank you. Once again, I am sorry about your friend."

"Thanks," Bill replied.

Barbara glanced at Tommy. "There will be counselling available for everyone involved," he said gently, "we would recommend that you speak to them."

The men nodded, but Barbara knew they had no intention of talking to anyone. It was not the way things were done. "If you think of anything else, no matter how trivial, let me know."

After assurances that the men would, they walked back to the car. Tommy looked at her. "Survivor guilt."

She nodded. "Yeah, to be expected. Counselling was a good idea."

"We have arranged it for everyone involved."

"I didn't think you were a believer."

"I'm not. Not for me personally. I have too much guilt going too far back." Tommy smiled broadly.

His attempted humour fell a bit flat because she knew they truth, well at least the last decade of it. "Sir, you know I am always here."

Tommy's eyes shut briefly. "Get in the car, Inspector. You have a case to solve."

* * *

As soon as Barbara entered the tent, she knew Ben Guthrie was inside. The cloying odour of uncleaned public toilets seemed to have been absorbed by the canvas. "I'm getting him his own tent."

Tommy grunted. "Harsh, but fair. It's worse than a Mumbai sewer."

"You've been I suppose. No, don't even tell me."

Winston looked up and called them over. He had set himself up at a desk at the other end of the 30' x 20' temporary command centre. "Ma'am."

"I hate that. I wish he'd call me Barbara."

"He had you as a role model, Pot."

"What? Oh, mmm. That was different."

"Why?"

She frowned. "Because... it just was, alright."

"No. One day, you _will_ call me Tommy. If it takes me until my deathbed."

They exchanged equally stubborn glares. Barbara thought of one situation where she would happily call him by name. She blushed and saw the satisfaction in his eyes. If only she knew what he was thinking. She turned. "Yes, Winston?"

"The tech guys found an online recipe for the stuff and it's scarily easy to make."

"What sort of site was it on?"

"A Neo-Nazi network."

"Oh, great. Fascists using communist chemical weapons. Just what we need. Did you tell Guthrie?"

"Yeah, he can give you the technical details. Seems all the East German stuff was destroyed. Encased in concrete and dropped deep sea. We're convinced this stuff is newly manufactured."

"I'm not sure if that's good news or bad. Any clues where?"

"The post was on a page with a dot gl marker."

"Dot gl? Where's that?"

"Greenland."

"Greenland? The one up north with polar bears?"

Winston frowned and Tommy laughed. Barbara had forgotten he was standing there. "Are there other Greenlands, Barbara?" he asked.

"No, but...," She turned back to Nkata. "Do you think it is made up there?"

"Possibly. It's a great spot to do something in secret. I checked, and their capital only has about 56,000 people. It's only the size of Canterbury. Minus the Cathedral of course."

"Great we have potential Neo-Nazi Inuits attacking a Cotswolds village. Any obvious links?"

"What about Mrs Green?" Tommy asked.

Winston looked up. "Who's Mrs Green?"

Barbara quickly explained what they had learnt. "Not much to go on. Constable Guthrie, can you come over here please?"

"Oh, great, thanks a lot," Winston mumbled.

Barbara quickly updated Guthrie. "So, Ben, what can you tell us to cheer us up?"

"Nothing." He must have seen her displeasure because he continued quickly. "Nothing to cheer you up, but I have tracked down the two main chemists who created it."

Barbara tried not to tap her foot. "Yes?"

"One is buried outside Berlin. He suicided when the wall came down. Or that's the official story anyway. The other moved to Denmark."

"Can we involve any more of Europe? Did you contact Interpol?"

"Yes. Not much joy unless we can show cause. We need a warrant here to activate one internationally."

"Inspector."

Barbara turned to Tommy and frowned. "Yeah?"

"Denmark and Greenland."

"What am I missing?"

"Greenland was Denmark's protectorate for many years. They still provide about half their revenue as aid."

"So it was their colony?"

Tommy nodded. "Since 1814, but it has been self-ruled since the 1970s, so more like a constitutional monarchy country within our Commonwealth."

"Right, but easy access then for... what this scientist's name?"

Guthrie smirked a little. "Bernhardt Zimmermann Schweindiener."

"Seriously?" Winston said, "no wonder he grew up wanting to kill the world."

Barbara tried not to laugh, even if Winston had said what she had thought. She was the Inspector now, so she frowned at her sergeant who just grinned and shrugged. Then she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder.

"If my limited German serves me correctly, Zimmermann means carpenter and Schweindeiner sounds like pig servant." Tommy's voice was so close that the vibrations tickled the back of her neck. She closed her eyes. She had to focus. She stepped away.

"Okay. So where is Mr Pig Servant right now, Guthrie? Any ideas?"

"No ma'am. I'm waiting to hear back from the Danish Police."

"Okay. Well, it's getting late and tomorrow will be busy. I suggest we eat then get to bed. Be back here ready to go at seven. Any questions?"

"No ma'am," they echoed.

She turned and glared at Tommy who had been part of the chorus. She waited until the other moved away. "Enough from you, thank you very much."

"I like a decisive woman." Barbara frowned but hard trouble not smiling. Tommy ignored her and put his arm over her shoulder. "Let's get dinner."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm never going to forgive you."

Barbara tried not to smile. His complaint was genuine but she had not had any options. "I'm sorry, Winston. Truly sorry, but what could I do?"

"You could have shared with the Super, and given our resident chemical weapon his own room."

"Yeah, right. How would that look if I shared a room with my ex-boss?"

"Logical," he muttered. His face hardened. "Don't. Don't you dare smile. You have no idea what it was like. At 2 am I went out and tried to sleep on the bench in the park. I was that desperate. I should sue The Met for failing to provide a safe workplace."

At that moment Lynley strode in looking shiny and polished and perfect for television. "Good morning. Everyone sleep well?"

"Ugh! What's the use." Winston stormed out of the tent.

"What's up his nose?"

Barbara started to laugh. "Guthrie apparently. They had to share a room. Winston ended up on the bench in the park."

"That's not a laughing matter, Inspector. What do you intend to do?"

"Send Guthrie back to London. How did you sleep?"

"Soundly. I enjoyed dinner. We should do it more often."

"A pretty ordinary pie and two pints and nothing but talk about the case. Next time you can find somewhere a bit fancier if you want to take me out."

Lynley raised his eyebrows then smiled. "Deal."

"What time is your press conference?"

"Nine."

Tommy had cocked his head slightly. He did that when he was considering something. "What?"

He began to smile. "Nothing. I'm fine. Sorry. So what will I tell them?"

* * *

By mid-morning it was clear that Barbara was needed back in London. She assigned Guthrie to stay as local liaison. For the first time all day, Winston smiled.

"Unless you think you need to stay too, Sergeant."

Winston's look would have withered the apple tree in the Garden of Eden. "No. Ben's got this covered."

"I'll be fine, ma'am. Sergeant Nkata didn't sleep well apparently. Best if he goes home."

"Good, that's settled. I have set up a meeting with the Assistant Commissioner and Counter Terrorism for two o'clock. I'll send you a number to dial in, Ben."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We'll leave you the car. Winston, find Superintendent Lynley and tell him he has an extra passenger."

* * *

Tommy tried not to show any resentment about returning to London or having Winston in the back seat. He was enjoying being part of a case, even peripherally, especially working with Barbara. But that would change once they returned. He would be isolated again in his media cell, writing press releases and doing interviews while she would be hard at work following leads.

"What's on your mind, Sir? Something's bothering you."

"Huh? Oh, not about the case, just about my role. I had hoped we... I would be able to have a few more days with you." He saw her starting to frown. "Like the old days."

She smiled nostalgically. "Yeah, me too. But I can't manufacture a reason to stay."

Winston snorted. Tommy had almost forgotten he was in the back. "I'm bloody glad, or I'd have been locked up for murdering Guthrie."

"Well, we can't have that." Tommy said it as a joke, but he knew it sounded much more sarcastic than was appropriate.

"I have no clue about what happens next."

Tommy heard the fear behind her words. "You follow the clues and you find the killer."

"Yeah, it's that simple isn't it. We don't have any clues."

"We have a lead on Schweindeiner, and we are looking for Mrs Green. We know the stuff is newly made and that recipes are on the internet. That's quite a bit."

"Except that no one knows where this Mrs Green is, or Pigman, or what the connection to Greenland is."

"You can't call him Pigman, Barbara."

She sighed. "Schweindeiner is too much of a mouthful. What about BZS?"

"Much better. No one expects you to solve this in a day."

"No, but..."

Tommy glanced across at her. Her body looked tense. "Nobody, Barbara."

"Except me."

"Why? To prove something? You don't have to. Not to me."

"You're not Hillier."

"Thankfully."

She gave him a rare smile. "Even you're not that bad."

He grinned back. "I shall have to try harder. Now stop worrying."

* * *

Barbara shifted her weight from her left foot to her right, then back. Hillier had assembled everyone and Guthrie was on the phone. They were just waiting for Lynley to finish his 2 pm media briefing.

He looked uncomfortable as he came through the door, but Barbara saw him take a quick, sharp breath then neutralise his expression. It was an skill she wished she had learned from him. All eyes turned to her. She walked across to the board and began her briefing.

Five minutes later she asked for questions. This was where she expected her superiors to launch their attacks.

"So," Hillier began, "you have done quite well in 24 hours."

Barbara was taken aback. "Er... I had hoped to have found BZS or Mrs Green."

Guthrie interrupted. "Excuse me, ma'am, but the Danish Police just sent me an email. Schweindeiner operates a tourist company running cruise expeditions on the Greenland west coast. He's based in Eeloolloosack."

"Where?" Barbara asked.

"It's Ilulissat, on Disko Bay in Greenland," Tommy said. "They believe that the iceberg that sank the Titanic calved from the glacier there. It is supposedly one of the most active and spectacular in the world."

Hillier sighed. "Thank you for the travelogue, Superintendent. Constable Guthrie, any other news?"

"Only that his tours stop at some of the lesser known locations and fjords not visited by other operators. They agree he may be up to something, but they have no real grounds for their suspicions."

"In my experience, looking shady, is shady." Everyone turned to look at AC Cameron. He was a thin-faced man with deep indents on his nose where heavy spectacles had been until his recent cataract surgery. Barbara was not sure whether his worried look was the cause or him adjusting to his vision. She stole a quick look at Lynley. He was thinking the same as her. If anyone looked shady, it was Cameron.

She turned to Hillier. "Sir, should we hand this to Counter Terrorism? Or MI6?"

Hillier drummed the tips of his fingers together while he thought. Barbara looked around the room. Everyone was looking at Hillier which gave her a chance to assess their faces. No one had any more ideas than she did.

"Why?"

"Well, Sir, I thought..."

Hillier cut her short. "Not until we have something more definitive."

"Yes, Sir, I thought..."

This time she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," Hillier bellowed.

Winston popped his head nervously around the door. "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought it might be relevant. I found Mrs Green."

"And?" Barbara prompted.

"She's dead."

"In the hall or previously?"

"Huh? Oh. Oh, previously. Three years ago. I don't know why the local boys didn't know. Anyway the reason I interrupted is that she died in Nuuk."

"Where?"

"The capital of Greenland," Tommy said.

"Guthrie?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Did you hear that?"

The sound of a keyboard being punished came over the speaker phone. "Yes, I am emailing my Danish contact now."

"Good. Let me know as soon as you have anything."

Hillier turned to the assembled hierarchy. "I think it is time to call MI6 in."

* * *

For the second time in two hours, Barbara ran through what they knew. Two MI6 officers took notes. Barbara glanced at Tommy who looked neutral and calm, everything she was not. "So we felt you should be advised," she concluded.

The older man, Agent Smith, nodded. "We can make some enquiries, but we have no jurisdiction and have to be very careful. Greenland and Denmark are allies. We can't trample on their patch."

Hillier nodded. "Understood. What do you advise?"

"That you work closely with the Danish Police. I would send Havers here to Nuuk to meet them and do some digging. Greenland uses Danish resources for big cases. The Danes will have someone there to help."

Barbara glanced at Tommy with a quick plea to help. Before she could object to the trip, Hillier spoke. "I agree. Can Nkata handle thing this end for a day or two?"

Barbara grimaced. "Yes, Sir."

"Sir," Tommy said, "I think someone should accompany DI Havers. It's not wise to send one officer into unknown situations like that."

Hillier tolled his eyes. "Take Guthrie."

"No!" Tommy and Barbara spoke as one. They looked at each other.

"His bowels, Sir. We don't want him embarrassed or the Danes to be offended," Tommy said as if he genuinely cared about Guthrie and the Danes.

Hillier frowned. "Nkata can't go. There's no one else with sufficient knowledge of the case. I'm sorry, Havers, you'll have to manage."

"That's not wise, Sir," Tommy said firmly. "I will go. I know the case, and work well with Havers."

"You have a role here. In media liaison. I can't spare you. I warned you about trying to get too involved."

"He's right."

All eyes turned to the Commissioner. "We can find another media officer. I am not comfortable sending a lone officer, no matter how capable. No offence, DI Havers."

"None taken, ma'am."

"But, ma'am, Superintendent Lynley and DI Havers used to be partners."

"I am aware of that. Even more reason that it makes sense. Any objections DI Havers?"

Barbara tried not to smile. Her silver-tongued boss had got his way again. "No ma'am. We work well together. I would be happy to have the Superintendent's experience and advice."

"Right, that's settled. Brief your team, make arrangements with the Danes then go and pack your woollies and get yourselves to Nuuk."

"Yes, ma'am," Barbara said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Tommy added.

The Commissioner flicked her hand, and they took the signal to leave. Barbara was almost out the door when the Commissioner spoke again. "Oh, and Lynley, remember this is Havers' case, you are there to advise, not take over."

"Of course, ma'am."

They shut the door. "You could talk your way into a private audience with the Queen."

Tommy frowned. "Yes, I just have to ask her... oh, I see. Hmm, but you looked pleased in there with my suggestion."

Barbara looked away. "Better than Guthrie I suppose."

"I could eat several tins of baked beans if that would help you feel more at ease with the decision."

She whirled around. "Don't you dare. And just remember. I'm in charge."

"How could I forget? Anyway, I told you, I like decisive women."

Barbara grunted. "Just go home and pack.'

* * *

Four hours later they were enroute to Iceland as there were no direct flights to Greenland. As they boarded and found their seats, Tommy turned to her. "I think this is going to be a wonderful adventure."

"I'd settle for a nice murder in London myself."

"Even without me?"

"Nah, always with you."

Tommy gave her the widest, warmest smile. Barbara felt her face getting hot. "Yes, we should always be together."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I went to Iceland and Greenland last year. This story has been waiting on my list of ideas ever since.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when they flew in over the sea towards Nuuk, but it was as light as an English afternoon. As the plane circled over the fjord, Barbara was stuck by the sapphire beauty of the water. The land looked dry and barren. The smooth grey rocks were pitted with pockets of white ice. New apartments, painted in bright Nordic colours sat on one side of a bay. Big windows glinted gold in the low setting sun, highlighting the reds, greens and blues of the tall blocks. On the other side of the bay, row upon neat row of small boats formed an enormous marina.

"How many people live here?"

"About 55,000," Tommy replied.

"There are more boats than people."

"Well they are fishermen. It's their biggest industry." Tommy leant across her to look out of the small plane window. His hair brushed her face. A citrusy woodiness filled her senses. She tried hard not to sigh. He moved back too soon. "What did you say the name of the policeman meeting us is?"

"Kulloq Knudsen and somebody Petersen is flying over tomorrow from Copenhagen."

"Somebody?"

"Guthrie told me the name three times but I couldn't understand him. I didn't dare ask a fourth time."

Tommy smiled at her. "I see."

The plane landed smoothly and sped along the runway. Barbara waited for it to slow. "Why is it going so fast?"

"In case birds fly across and they have to take off again. Apparently it happens a lot."

"Great."

The plane taxied to the small, modern airport building, a non-descript concrete block. A large man was holding up a sign that read 'Havers'. It felt odd, but good, to be the main character and have Tommy trailing her for once.

She approached the burly man. His suntanned, leathery skin made him look much older than she suspected he was. With a square face, black eyes, and a gappy grin beneath a thick moustache, he was not what Barbara had expected. He looked more Asian than European. He extended a huge hand, more like a paw, and shook her hand.

"I am Kulloq," he said with a slightly Germanic accent.

"Barbara, and this is Tommy."

Tommy extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'll take you to your hotel. It is best to talk there."

Barbara nodded. "Yes, fine. Are you from Nook?"

"Nuuk. No, I come from a long way north, a village called Pituffik. I came here for high school and university, then never left."

They walked to the vehicle, a bright blue Jeep Wrangler. Barbara was offered the seat next to the driver. She glanced at Tommy, but he seemed unperturbed. Kulloq drove scarily fast over a well-made but narrow, winding road. "That's the University. And that's the old cemetery."

Barbara looked out at the cemetery. High on a bluff overlooking the fjord, rows of tall white metal crosses lined up like soldiers in formation. The graves were shrouded in brightly coloured flowers. It was surreal, yet oddly moving. "It's attractive. All those flowers."

"They're artificial. We can't really grow proper flowers here. We like our ancestors to have a nice environment to dwell in."

The trip into town was short. It was the smallest capital city Barbara had ever seen. It was barely a town. One main road stretched a quarter of a mile with a cross street that led down to the pioneer area. One modern office block of about seven stories dominated town, but it looked small by English standards. Underneath was the main shopping centre. Opposite was a five storey hotel, but instead of parking, Kulloq proudly took them on a short tour.

"This is the hospital," he said driving past a series of buttercup yellow buildings. "Buildings are colour coded so you can find them in the blizzards. Medical buildings are always yellow. In recent years though colour coding has stopped because people have satnavs."

"Fascinating," Tommy said from the back. Barbara just wanted to get to the hotel and have a shower.

The tour was quick. The docks housed fisheries, mostly painted blue. Old houses were painted in the traditional rusted red, and utilities were green. Now the system had broken down. Houses were all colours, and the depressing rows of government flats, built by the Danes in the 1950s, were white and grey decorated only with bold murals of sad Inuit faces. They reminded Barbara of the depressing council estates at home, and she wondered if they shared the same issues. Newer apartment blocks had colour and light, and different shapes breaking up the streetscape.

"And this is our cultural centre." The building was a sweeping curve of blonde timber and looked at odds with the blockish nature of other structures. "It's a small city."

"It's very interesting," Barbara replied searching for a neutral and relatively enthusiastic term.

"I'll show you our pioneer area then."

Barbara smiled. She would prefer a shower and food. Kulloq pointed out the sights. A quaint red church sat beneath a small rocky hill with a statue of Hans Egede, the Danish missionary merchant who founded it in the 1728. Barbara could tell Tommy was in his element, admiring the buildings and learning the history. He looked over and frowned. She realised she had cocked her head and was smiling at him like a doting grandmother admiring her first grandchild. She coughed, then looked away, hoping he would not notice her red face.

Finally, Kulloq drove them to their hotel. "What if I let you sleep, and we meet for breakfast at eight?"

"What time is it now?"

"About half past one."

"Do they have room service? I'm starving."

Kulloq frowned. "I can ask. They might have some fish." He lifted her bag out of the Jeep then hurried over to the counter.

Barbara looked over at Tommy. He was smirking at her. "What?"

"I have a vision of Kulloq throwing fish to you like a trained seal. Who is hungry at this hour?"

"Me!" She turned and followed Kulloq.

* * *

Barbara woke at seven as her phone chirped. At first she thought it was the alarm, until she recognised the barking ringtone. "Yes, Sir?"

"Ah, Havers," Hillier said far too cheerfully. "What have you learned?"

"How far Nuuk is from anywhere. We are being briefed this morning. Anything over there?"

"Not much. Chat to Nkata after you have your briefing. And try to wrap this up quickly. I want you both back here."

"Yes, Sir. I'll keep you informed." She hung up before he could say anything else.

She rang Tommy. "You awake?"

"I am now. What's up?"

"Nothing. I was... being your alarm clock."

"Very considerate of you." There was a long pause. "Do I have to turn you off, Alarm Clock?"

"Oh, no. Sorry. I'll see you at breakfast."

She lowered the phone and smiled. "Maybe you can turn me on sometime."

* * *

Anja Petersen had been on the morning flight from Copenhagen. She was tall, young and had legs that seemed to reach her armpits. In an elegantly cut black suit and red shirt, she looked bright and eager. Worst of all she had no rings on her fingers and a sweet smile, mainly aimed at Tommy. In her baggy jeans and oversized coat, Barbara felt frumpy.

"Good Morning, Inspector Havers, Superintendent Lynley."

Her voice dripped with honey. Barbara's shoulders tightened. "Morning. I'm sorry, I don't know your rank."

The women smiled. "Politikommissær. Roughly equivalent to your Sergeant."

Relieved she outranked her, Barbara smiled. "That sounds a bit Russian."

The woman frowned then smiled. "Oh, no. It's not a political rank."

Kulloq ushered them to a booth at the rear of the restaurant. "I took the liberty of ordering a set breakfast so we could talk."

Barbara nodded. "Fine, thank you, Kulloq."

She quickly outlined their case as the two waitresses brought them thick flat loaves of dark bread, cut meats, and fish, and a variety of cheeses. "So any information on Schweindeiner would be helpful."

Petersen smiled. "It seems he lives aboard the Puffin Express..."

Barbara laughed. "The what? That sounds like a children TV programme. Is it parked next to Thomas the Tank Engine?"

Petersen frowned and looked at Tommy. So did Barbara. He smiled, then laughed. "I presume that's his cruise ship?"

Anja nodded. "Yes. He's being living onboard for the last six months. And that's when the itinerary changed. Of course, in the winter the cruises are very limited anyway, but still..."

"Changed in what way?" Tommy asked. He was leaning across the table towards Anja.

"They now stop on the way up and back in a bay not renowned for anything. Ostensibly it's for whale watching, but there are no records of whales frequenting that bay."

"Sounds suspicious," Barbara said, hoping to draw Anja's eyes from Tommy. "So how do we trace it?"

Anja looked surprised. "Isn't that why you are here? To board the vessel and see."

"Do you have a warrant?"

The Danish policewoman looked at Kulloq, and then back at Barbara. "Noooo," she said slowly, "we thought it would be an undercover assignment. We have booked a cabin on the cruise leaving tonight."

"We? Who is going? You and Kulloq?"

"Us? No, we're not a convincing couple. No offence Kulloq."

"None taken. I hate boats. I get seasick. That's why I left the village. I couldn't be a fisherman."

Barbara had a horrible vision of Mummy Long-Legs expecting to accompany Tommy. She clenched her fists under the table. It made sense, but it hurt like hell. Much more than she had expected. "How many days?" she asked as neutrally as she could.

"Seven nights."

"I see. So you want Superintendent Lynley to accompany you?"

Tommy kicked her under the table, far harder than was necessary to get her attention. She looked over and frowned. He frowned back, then smiled sweetly at Anja. "It's not British jurisdiction."

"No, but it's a good idea. And if Anja is with you." This time his kick was swift and hard. It was designed to hurt and it did. Barbara scowled at him, and he returned it with menace. She was confused. "Can you see any alternatives, Sir?"

"May I have a word in private, Inspector?"

Barbara shrugged. "Excuse us."

Anja smiled. "Of course."

They walked in silence to small room off the main dining area. "Why did you kick me so hard?" She demanded. "I'll have a bruise for weeks."

"Sorry, but I am not spending seven days with that piranhic woman."

"Pirwhat?"

"Piranhic, as in a piranha. Did you see the way she eyed me up and down?"

"She fancies you. And you leant over towards her."

"I did not."

Barbara raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. "Yes. You did."

"As may be, but any desire is not mutual. She's got no torso, just legs and a head."

"Yeah, she reminds me of those wooden chopsticks you get with sushi." Barbara started to laugh. "Since when did you knock back stunning legs and a pretty face?"

"Havers!"

"Oh, cut the innocent act. I've known you for over a decade. She's exactly your type."

"I'm not that man anymore, and I have no intention of getting on that boat with her."

Barbara nodded then looked down before she betrayed her relief. Then she thought about the case. "Well, someone has to. You and Anja... make sense. You'd be believable."

Tommy raked his fingers slowly through his hair. "I can't believe you are condoning that."

Barbara frowned. "It is possible _not_ to sleep with her. Just say no."

"I am perfectly capable of not sleeping with someone! I... No. I go with you, or I fly home."

"Me? No one would believe you and I are... together."

"Why not?"

"Well, for a start... look at you then look at me. Our accents are different, the way we dress... everything."

"Barbara, we have been partners for years. We can pull off being travelling companions."

"No, Hillier would give birth to a thousand glitter-covered chickens."

Tommy started to laugh. "He'd do what? I'd like to see that."

Barbara grinned at him. "Me too. We'd have to share a cabin."

"If we can share a caravan, I think we can manage."

"I get the top bunk."

"I think you'll find... Yes, you may have the top bunk."


	5. Chapter 5

"Yes, Sir... We will... No unnecessary heroics. Yes, I understand... Yes, I will keep him under control, or try to... Yes, we have organised a satellite phone. The Danish Police were very good about that... Yes, Sir, I will. Good bye, Sir." Barbara hung up and threw her mobile on the bed.

"Well?" Tommy asked. He was sitting in a chair by the window waiting while she packed. The call from Hillier had interrupted her.

"He wants me to keep you under control. We are to observe and report, and not, and he stressed extremely loudly, to engage Schweindeiner in any way that might arouse his suspicions. And no, dramatic arrests. Oh, and no wasting taxpayer monies on expensive whisky at the bar. I took that to be a message for you."

"Humph. As if I couldn't afford my own indulgences if required. He forgets we are working, not on holidays."

"No, he reminded me of that several times. Apparently Winston is not happy about being in charge. He's had to bring Guthrie back from Landsborough."

"Poor Winston. Still we are all making sacrifices."

"Are we?" Barbara stood with her hands on her hips. "If you had made any sacrifices, it would be Anja packing and not me."

Tommy visibly shuddered. "Queen and country only goes so far."

Barbara laughed. "And what if I snore?"

"Then sadly I will have to report that Schweindeiner pinged on to you and threw you into the Arctic waters."

Barbara threw a cushion at him. "Might cut both ways."

"I don't snore."

"Says who?"

"My mother."

Barbara tucked the last of her clothes into her bag and zipped it up. "Come on then Mummy's darling, you can carry this. What time is the flight to Kangerlussuaq?"

"Three o'clock. The Puffin Express sails at six. Crew from the ship meet everyone at the airport. I think most people will fly in there direct. The brochure says about 70% of passengers are German, and the rest 'English-speaking'."

"It's eleven now, so we can go to Kulloq's office for the hookup with Copenhagen and London. How's your German?"

"Nicht so gut."

"What?"

"Not so good."

"Better than mine. I only know Auf Wiedersehen and schnell from Hogan's Heroes re-runs."

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "A misspent youth watching US comedy. I see."

"You see what? I don't listen to German opera and stuff like you."

"I... one day I will take you and you will like it."

"Or else?"

Tommy laughed then put his arm around her shoulder. "This is going to be an interesting week, Havers. A very interesting week."

* * *

Barbara felt Anja's eyes boring into her. She ignored her. "So, Winston, any news?"

"No. Toxicology has officially confirmed the cause of death. A total of 67 victims. Three more were found in their houses. They must have felt funny and gone home. Did you learn anything about Mrs Green's death?"

"I forgot to ask. Kulloq?"

"Martina Green. Died three years ago in June aged 76. She's buried in the cemetery we passed yesterday. Husband pre-deceased her in Britain. Born in Berlin. Grew up and when to university in East Germany. Majored in Biological Psychology. Her thesis was about chocolate as a punishment and reward system. Most of her work seems to have been about how to control people. After the wall came done, she met a widower from England, Bill Green, during a hiking trip in Scotland. They married a year later and she moved there. After he died she moved back to Berlin for six months then came to Nuuk. She lived alone."

"Cause of death?" Tommy asked.

Kulloq thumbed through his notes. "Slipped on some ice and fell down the stairs near the fish market. They were old wooden steps. Anyway they were replaced a couple of years ago. Her death was one of the reasons."

"Anything suspicious about the fall?"

"No, there are witness accounts saying she was hurrying and lost her footing."

"Any links to Schweindeiner?" Barbara asked.

"They were both members of the small German Club and lived in the same street."

"Hmm," Tommy said. "Any links in Germany?"

"None we could find," Anja replied, "but accessing East German records is very difficult."

"For the moment, it's safest to assume there was a link." Barbara looked at Tommy.

"I agree, Havers. Our best lead is Schweindeiner."

Barbara nodded. "If no one has any other ideas, let's grab some lunch, then you can take us to the airport."

* * *

The flight was short but spectacular. Barbara was spellbound by the patterns on the ice sheet. Little puddles of green and grey pockmarked the white. In places the craggy lines of moving glaciers formed a twisting river through smoother ice. In other spots, it was as glittery as diamonds. Somehow Barbara had imagined the icecap to be uniform and unyielding, but it almost seemed alive.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Tommy said as he leant across her.

She looked at his hair, and gently sniffed his scent. "Yeah, it is."

He looked up and smiled then turned back to the view. "And to think I could have seen this with Anja."

Barbara shoved him, only half playfully against the seat in front. "It was your choice remember?"

Tommy sat up and rubbed his shoulder. He looked across and grinned at her. His eyes were sparkling yet soft. "Yes, it was. I would always choose you."

For a moment they stared at each other. Barbara sensed that his words were not just about Anja. "Yeah, me too." She turned back to the window. "Do you think we will see any polar bears?"

* * *

The Kangerlussuaq Airport, like so many in Greenland, was an ex-US military base. The runway ran down the centre of a long valley with grey rock rising steeply on either side. Tucked at the narrowest point, the town was nothing more than a few rows of old barracks opposite the small terminal. Children ran around the passengers as they waited.

"Are you for the Puffin Express?" A young rather plumb woman with a German accent asked.

"Yes, Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers," Tommy replied.

The woman scanned her list. "Ah, yes. I am Freya." She handed Tommy two luggage tags. "Cabin 606. Please put these on your bags then leave them over there. The plane from Germany arrives in twenty minutes. We will send the first buses down just before they arrive. You will be able to see the plane fly over. There is a small gift shop for souvenirs just outside the terminal. The money goes directly to the local economy. Your bus leaves from outside that shop. Please do not wander too far. Welcome aboard the Puffin Express. We hope you enjoy your trip."

"Thank you. I am sure we will."

Tommy attached the tags. "Did you get the feeling buying a souvenir was compulsory?"

"I did." They walked outside. The air was brisker than Nuuk. In the shade it was cool, in the sun, almost too hot. "I'm going to get sunburnt. I hope the shop sells sunscreen."

Tommy smiled. "Hmm."

"What?"

"I was just imagining your skin with a tan."

"I don't tan. I just go red." Tommy was smiling sweetly again. She felt her face begin to redden under his gaze.

"Fast acting sun too," he joked. "Come on."

After selecting sunscreen, lip balm and a polar bear fridge magnet, Barbara looked around the shop for Tommy. He was at the counter. Whatever he had bought disappeared into a small paper bag and then into his pocket. Barbara didn't dare ask as she walked up to the counter. "Just these please."

"I'll only be a minute," he said.

True to form he returned quickly with some shaving gel, two sleeping eye masks, and a small toy polar bear embroidered with Kangerlussuaq in blue thread. He held up the masks. One had little sleeping polar bears, and the other little puffins in nightgowns holding candles. "These might be useful."

Barbara smiled. It was very considerate of him, but her mind had conjured an image of him naked on a bed wearing nothing but the mask. Sharing a cabin was going to be difficult. She sighed. "Good idea. Thank you."

They walked outside and stopped. They looked at each other. "This is surreal," Barbara said.

Parked outside the shop we're two American school busses. The shape, with the flat windscreen, rounded roof and protruding engine bay, was unmistakable. Even the colour was the same dusty yellow. They looked incongruous. Freya beckoned them into the line. Luggage of awaiting passengers was being loaded underneath into the cargo compartments.

Barbara was surprised by the austerity of the interiors. The aisle was so narrow people crabbed sideways to their seats. The barely padded upright benches were uncomfortably close together. Barbara could only just put her feet on the floor but Tommy was unable to get his legs in and had to sit bent up with his knees in front of his face. "I do hope it's not a long journey," he said.

Barbara felt sorry for him. The seat was only wide enough for the two of them if she squashed herself against the window. "They said fifteen minutes."

"I may have turned into the Brunstad Man by then."

"Who?"

"An 8000-year-old skeleton found in Norway buried in this position."

"What in an American school bus?"

Tommy chuckled. "Please don't make me laugh. I only just have enough room to breathe."

The road was bumpy and collective groans went up from all the passengers crammed into the yellow tin can. Fortunately the trip was only the advertised time. As they stood around outside the bus awaiting instructions, all the men stretched and tried to unfold bodies that had stiffened into unnatural poses.

"For the first time ever, I envy short people."

Barbara shrugged. "On balance, your lot has it easier."

"My lot? Are you even turning my height into a battleground?"

"No, but you must admit, being tall is generally an advantage."

"I will concede that. Oh, no."

Freya came along and issued them with life jackets. "We will take your luggage separately. The Penguin Express is anchored around the point. It is too shallow here to dock. We will board the vessel via Zodiacs. Please form a line here, ready to board."

Tommy helped Barbara adjust her jacket. His hands rested briefly on her waist as he untwisted a strap that went around her body. Barbara closed her eyes.

"All done." His hands moved away.

"Thanks."

"Did you put any sunscreen on? You're red already."

"Not yet."

Barbara had to take the arm of a burly sailor to board the gently rocking rib. She moved, as directed, to sit on the inflated side of the boat furthest from the small jetty. Tommy sat beside her and a rather heavy man beside him. They all squashed up to allow six passengers along each side. Then the sailor revved his small outboard engine and sped out into the bay. The boat bumped over small waves, reverberating up her spine. Tommy put his arm behind her and grabbed the rope threaded through rubber holders on the top of the rib. Barbara smiled knowing that he was ensuring she did not fall out. He was always so gentlemanly, something that annoyed her and impressed her equally. When one wave was larger than others, she leant back against his arm and nestled slightly against his side. His smile made her melt. Oh, this week was going to be a test.

* * *

Onboard the Puffin Express, they were issued with cruise cards for identification then escorted to their cabin on the second from top deck which opened onto the pool deck at the stern and an enclosed observation lounge at the bow.

"I am Sabrina, your stewardess for this deck," a pretty Filipino woman introduced herself. "If you need anything, please contact me. This is my station." She pointed to a small room with cleaning equipment, linen and a small seat.

"Thank you, Sabrina. We will," Tommy said politely. Sabrina smiled and Barbara felt a pang of resentment. She felt stupid for being so possessive of Tommy.

Sabrina opened the door. "Here we are. Your bags will arrive shortly. Please enjoy your cruise. Remember, if you need anything, I am just down the corridor."

The cabin was surprisingly spacious. Two big wardrobes were behind the door. On the other side of the small entrance hall was the door to the bathroom. Barbara stuck her head inside. There was an almost full size rain shower curtained off from a toilet and basin area. A large mirror was above the basin and above the toilet there was a large storage space behind a perspex screen. "A lot bigger and brighter than the one in the caravan."

"The cabin is quite nice too," Tommy called back.

Barbara came out and stared at the neutral tones of the cabin. A large picture window provided uninterrupted views of the bay. On one wall there was a large photograph of a polar bear and her cub on an ice floe. On the other was a close-up of a puffin. The linen was crisp and white with a lovely azure blue throw rug across a huge bed.

All colour drained from Barbara's face. "There's only one bed!"

Tommy shrugged. "At least it's quite a big one."


	6. Chapter 6

Tommy could see the strain on Barbara's face as she stared at the bed. It filled most of the cabin space and left only narrow walkways down either side. He wanted to comfort her, but somehow putting his arm around her now seemed decidedly inappropriate. "I'll leave you to change. The Captain's Welcome Drinks start in 40 minutes. I'll wait on the deck until you are ready."

Barbara looked up and gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Sir."

Tommy found Sabrina in her nook. "Sabrina, I was wondering, while we are at the Captain's Drinks could you convert the bed into two beds?"

"Yes." Sabrina looked as if she needed an explanation.

"I think it would give us more room in the cabin, and my... Barbara is worried about access to the bathroom if she gets seasick."

Sabrina smiled. Remaking the beds was obviously preferable to dealing with unfortunate accidents. "Of course. Many people prefer that."

"We didn't think when we booked," he added apologetically.

"It's no problem."

Tommy smiled in a way he knew always won friends, then walked through the heavy glass door onto the deck. In the soft afternoon light, the grey rocks of the fjord shone and glittered with flecks of gold, silver and red. Small patches of brilliant white snow nestled in nook high on the steep cliffs. He looked out over the calm water and thought how nice it would be to truly be on holiday here, with Barbara, without a case, and without her revulsion at the prospect of sharing his bed. He sighed. He wished she would relax and consider the possibility that they could make a life together. She was his soulmate, he was sure of that. There was no reason that could not have other benefits attached.

The last of the groups of Germans was bumping across the sapphire water amid laughter and the odd shrieked 'Gott im Himmel'. Tommy laughed when one lady's hat flew off but was expertly plucked out of mid-air by the boat driver, standing in the back, one hand on the outboard. He bowed at the applause.

"Ready."

Tommy turned to see Barbara standing stiffly behind him. She was dressed in her best court clothes, a black suit and white shirt with low black pumps. He did not like to suggest that she unbutton her shirt a little to look more casual."Relax, Barbara. We are supposed to be on holidays."

"It's this, or jeans and my coat."

"It's not your clothes. You look fine, but you look very tense."

"I am tense."

"Being undercover, or being with me?"

Barbara frowned. "A bit of both. I... I don't know how to pretend to be in a relationship. I've never been in one."

Tommy reached out his hand. Barbara frowned more deeply. "Take my hand."

Barbara slowly reached out. Tommy gently encased her hand in both of his palms. "You and I... we already have a relationship. We're friends aren't we?" Barbara nodded. "Then that's all we need to be to convince anyone. Just friends who hold hands at times, or put their arms around each other. That's all. We can do that, can't we?"

"Yeah, it's just... seeing that room... I..."

"You don't have to worry about it. Now come while I get changed, and we... Don't look so horrified. I'm only changing my shirt. We can discuss how to manage the party."

* * *

Barbara closed her eyes and silently inhaled as they walked back to their cabin. Tommy still had her hand and it felt wonderful yet wrong. He was being the perfect gentleman. She wanted to relax and pretend it was real, but if she did, she knew at the end her heart would shatter into tiny pieces. She tried to pull her hand back, but he gripped it firmly.

Sabrina was just exiting their room when they entered the corridor. "What's she been up to?" Barbara hissed.

"It's okay."

Tommy said nothing more, but when he opened the door, Barbara could see the bed had been converted into two beds against either wall with a space between them. She was simultaneously relieved and devastated. Tommy obviously had no intention of sharing a bed.

"I see."

Tommy frowned. "I thought this was what _you_ wanted."

"Me?"

"You were uncomfortable at the idea of sharing. Actually, you seemed horrified, so I asked Sabrina to change it for you."

"Oh." Barbara looked down. If only he understood.

"Oh, you thought it was me that didn't... No, I would have been honoured to sleep with you."

Barbara looked up. "Huh?"

Tommy's ears shone like red traffic lights. "Properly. Real sleep... I didn't mean to insult you, nor did I mean to sound disrespectful. I..."

Barbara began to laugh. She put up her hand to stop his apologies. "It's okay, I understand."

"Sadly, I don't think you do."

"Thank, Sir, it was very thoughtful."

He nodded. "And you can't call me Sir." He began to smile. "I told you I would find a way for you to have to call me Tommy."

"I could just call you by a pet name."

He lowered his brow. "Mmm. Such as?"

"Ashie, or Lynley, or something."

"Ashie? No, definitely not. Tommy, Thomas or if you must, Tom."

"I... bloody hell. Tommy. But only if I have to."

"Fair enough."

"I can't pull this off."

"Yes, we can. We mingle and see if we can meet Schweindeiner. We don't engage in any suspicious way. We just observe and report."

"I wish we had time to arrange false passports. What if he recognises our names and looks into it? We might end up as polar bear food."

"Unlikely. Your name has never been mentioned, and they have a new liaison officer now. He is not likely to think a spokesman would be an active investigator."

"What if he Googles us?"

"We solve murders, not chase international terror groups. And he probably doubts we would have found a connection to him. He might be wary, but probably assume it's a coincidence. The key is everyone believing we are lovers on holidays."

Barbara bit her lip. Tommy frowned. "Turn around, Barbara, and close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it, please."

Barbara did, and heard him rustling in his wardrobe. Of course, he was changing his shirt. "You're suddenly shy aren't you?"

"No, why?"

Barbara sensed him move to stand behind her. "You usually let me watch when you shower or anything." Barbara realised immediately how that sounded. "In Cambridge. Oh... you know what I mean."

Tommy laughed. "I do, don't I? It's not sudden shyness. I saw this at that shop. I thought you might like it. I was going to give it to you later as a memento, but it's better to give it to you now."

Barbara opened her eyes and turned around. "Sir? You..."

Tommy snatched his hand away. "Sorry, not until you call me Tommy."

"Unfair... Tommy." She grinned at him, and he gave her the most wonderful smile in return. His face and eyes lit up as if she had given him the world. She smiled back so hard her cheeks began to cramp.

"It's a bit corny." He handed her a small box. "I... I just thought... I wanted to..."

She opened it to find a black and white pendant in the shape of a puffin with cute little orange feet and orange stripes across the beak. Barbara felt a little overwhelmed. "It's wonderful. Thank you."

"I thought it might make it easier for you."

"Easier?"

"I know you are hating this, Barbara. Being forced to pretend that we are lovers... sorry."

Barbara felt her face go red. "Don't be. I... It's not like it's an abhorrent concept, but, well, we are friends. I don't want to ruin that."

Tommy frowned. "We won't. It's just pretend."

Barbara cringed, fearing her face must look like it was the source of Hell's fires. "Yeah, of course, I know that."

"Let me put it on."

Barbara turned and allowed Tommy to fasten the clip under her hair. The backs of his fingers brushed her neck and she fought hard not to groan.

"There. Show me." Barbara turned. It was hanging awkwardly over her blouse. He smiled. "May I?"

"Yeah..."

Tommy reached up and undid the second and third buttons on her blouse then arranged the puffin against her chest only an inch above her bra line. He grinned at her, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Perfect."

"Really? I don't look... wanton?"

"Wanton? Hardly. I don't date wanton women."

"Really?"

"Hmm, May the odd wanton woman. But I categorically draw the line on taking them on holidays."

Barbara laughed. "I still keep seeing Anja's face when we told her. I thought she was going to leap across the table and tear my throat out."

Tommy shuddered, making her laugh again. "I am glad I am here with you. Now, come on, we have a criminal to spy on."

* * *

Four hours later Tommy leant down. "Why don't we go on deck for a while before we go to bed?" he whispered into her ear.

"Good idea."

Barbara put the glass of wine she had been sipping for the last two hours onto a passing tray. She allowed Tommy to steer her through the crowd. The party had been disappointing, although the food had been spectacular and many of the passengers seemed interesting. She envisioned several extra pounds would appear on her waistline in the week.

From the Captain's speech they had learned that the owner, Mr Bernhardt, was not onboard. Barbara did not blame him for not using Schweindeiner. He would be joining the ship in two days when they stopped in a fjord for whale watching. Barbara felt cheated, and angry. She knew they were stuck on the ship for a week, but she had hoped to be distracted by spying on him.

"Two bloody days," she said as they reached the deck.

"Let's go up to the top deck."

The upper deck was open, but the high sides were glass covered to provide protection from the wind. Unfortunately, the top railing was right at Barbara's eyeline. "Alright for you. I can't see a thing."

"Stand on that vent."

"I'll fall off in these heels."

"You won't. I promise."

Barbara stepped up onto the mushroom-shaped vent and braced her feet while she held the railing. She flinched when Tommy pressed his body into her back.

"Relax. I'm here. I won't let you fall. Can you see?"

"Yes." Barbara could see, if she opened her eyes. Instead she had them closed and was enjoying the sensation of being close.

"Look, over there," he said pointing, "dolphins."

A pod of about six dolphins jumped, spun and frolicked in the bow wave. Barbara began to look around. It was almost ten in the evening, but the sun was still glowing in what at home would be a soft afternoon light. The fjord had widened, but was still mostly barren rock. It felt alien and yet entrancing.

"This is beautiful." Something moved high on the cliff. "What's that?" As she pointed she lost her balance and fell back against Tommy. Both his arms came around her and held her steady. With her standing on the vent, his chin rested comfortably on her shoulder.

"A musk ox I think. It is beautiful here, like this."

Tommy's left hand was resting just below her right breast. His right was across her left hipbone. His body pressed against hers. It was almost sexual and yet totally innocent. Barbara's emotions roller coastered from elation to fear and back. In a move that surprised them both, Barbara turned her head and kissed his cheek. He emitted a confused but not unhappy groan.

"I... It seemed to be what a lover would do," she explained.

"Hmm, yes. And how would a lover respond?"

Barbara shrugged. "Dunno."

"Like this." His hands moved only half an inch but felt far more intimate. Barbara turned her face to look at him. They stared at each other for several long, soul-searching seconds before Tommy moved forward and touched his lips gently against hers.


	7. Chapter 7

"There you two are."

Barbara silently cursed as Tommy's lips hurriedly retreated and his arms loosened. Leaning against him, when he moved she started to topple. Taking her hand, Tommy helped her off the vent.

"Volker. We thought we would watch the scenery before bed," Tommy told the smiling Berliner. They had met briefly at the party.

"Us too." Volker's wife Kati said as she cuddled into her husband's side. "It's beautiful."

"It is," Barbara agreed. It was only when she went to point out the wildlife that she realised she and Tommy were still holding hands. Rather than break that connection, she pointed with her left hand. "There's musk ox up on the ridge. They're huge."

Tommy squeezed her hand. Barbara was not sure of its meaning. She looked up. His expression was the one he sometimes had that always made her heart jump then explode in a liquid fire that left her breathless and exposed. She inhaled in a staccato shallow, almost desperate need for oxygen. He smiled. Barbara felt her legs and will begin to fail. If at that moment he had kissed her, she would happily have made love to him here on the deck in front of anybody who cared to watch. As if reading her thoughts, his grip tightened, and his gaze wandered down her body, pausing at her puffin.

"Oh, there they are!" Kati squealed. They all turned to watch the large animals with thick woolly brown manes staring back.

"Have you decided what you are going to do in Sisimiut tomorrow?" Volker asked.

"We will probably just look around town. And you?"

"We are hiking around the fjord. It's about ten miles. Quite rugged, I believe. You are welcome to join us."

"Tommy has a dodgy knee, unfortunately," Barbara lied so smoothly it surprised her.

"What a shame, you look so fit," Kati said, eyeing Tommy up and down. "Well, good night."

"Good night." They all exchanged pleasantries before the Germans left.

"You can release your vice now, Barbara."

She dropped his hand and frowned as he rubbed it. "Sorry."

He smiled. "Don't be. I rather like your possessiveness."

"I am supposed to be your girlfriend. It's natural to fend off advances from other women isn't it?"

"I'm not sure it was an advance, but yes, thank you. Now, we should go to bed."

They walked back to the cabin. Barbara wondered why he did not take her hand, but no one was around, and she had to remind herself that this was only an act. The beds had been turned down, and small chocolates had been placed on each pillow. "They do it well," she said.

"They do," he agreed.

"Do you want to shower?"

"You can shower first if you like. Can you change in there or do you want me to wait outside? It will look odd if we always leave the cabin when the other is dressing."

"No, stay. I can manage. And don't laugh at my pyjamas."

He raised one eyebrow but said nothing. Barbara quickly unpacked her bag and retreated to the bathroom. With an open shower bay surrounded only by a curtain, she could imagine Tommy in with her, scrubbing her back. She sighed. That kiss that brought out the feelings she had tried to suppress. At the end of this case, when he withdrew his pretend affections, the pain would be excruciating.

* * *

Tommy unpacked his bag. He had watched Barbara hastily shove her gear anywhere in her wardrobe. He took the time to fold and lay his out neatly in an order that made sense. He put underwear and socks in one drawer, shirts on hangers, and stacked his folded trousers neatly on the shelf. He had tried not to listen to the running water because when he did, he imagined how it ran over her body. It was going to be impossible to pretend he was in love with her without her realising it was true. Was she ready for that? Did she feel at least some of what he felt for her? Tommy had no idea. Barbara was a determined woman, and her responses might be what she thought her role was supposed to be. He sighed. She had not kissed him back, but they had not had time. He had caught her by surprise, but the brief kiss left him confused. He wanted to open the door, rush in and kiss her as the water ran over them and find out the truth. "Don't be a fool," he muttered to himself. Barbara would kill him.

He sat in the chair at the small desk and waited. Barbara emerged soon with wet hair that had been towelled but not combed. Then he noticed them and began to smile.

"Don't laugh. I warned you."

"Smiling is not laughing, Barbara. They're... unique."

"I brought them because they are warm."

"It's the colour alone doing that." Barbara was wearing fire-engine red fleecy pyjamas with an oversized picture of Grumpy the dwarf holding a pickaxe in a threatening gesture. "And they certainly send a message."

Barbara waved her hand dismissively. "No message. I didn't know anyone would see them. I suppose yours are silk with your initials monogrammed on the pocket."

"Actually, no. Mine are... makeshift."

"Makeshift?"

Tommy's face reddened. "I didn't pack any to save on space in my bag."

"So?" Barbara tried to control her face but judging by his face, she failed. "Bloody hell."

"Don't worry, a t-shirt and my trunks will suffice. I didn't know anyone would see mine either. Which bed to do you want?" Tommy said in a tone he hoped signalled a change of topic.

"Whichever one you're not in."

Tommy felt as if he had been slapped. "I see." He picked up his t-shirt and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door unnecessarily loudly.

* * *

Barbara wondered what had happened. One minute they were joking, the next... "Oh, you idiot," she mumbled. She walked to the door and knocked. The water was running.

"What?"

Barbara cracked open the door but did not open it. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I meant whichever one you didn't want. I'm not fussed. I didn't mean... well that I was trying to avoid you or something."

"What? I can't hear you."

She opened the door a bit more. "Then turn the water off."

"No. I'm in the middle of showering. I'm all soapy. You come in here and tell me."

Barbara stepped into the steamy bathroom. The mirror was foggy, and condensation had formed on every surface. Tommy's silhouette was visible through the thick cloth shower curtain. "I said I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm sorry. I realised it sounded rude."

"And insulting."

Barbara clenched her teeth. He was not going to make this easy. Staring at his naked shadow on the curtain did not help at all. It was distracting. "Unintentionally, yes."

"It's okay. I guess we had to get it over with."

"What?"

"Our first lover's tiff."

"What? Oh, ha bloody ha." Tommy laughed and opened the shower curtain enough for Barbara to see his cheeky grin and part of his chest. She closed her eyes. "I'll just wait outside."

"You don't have to. We should talk about contacting Hillier and what we do next."

"When you have clothes on. I can't focus in here. It's too... hot." She fled, annoyed to hear him laughing.

* * *

Barbara had combed her hair and was sitting up in her chosen bed by the time Tommy emerged. His t-shirt hung low enough to cover most but not all of his trunks. She willed herself not to look, under any circumstance.

"We can take the Sat phone into town and find somewhere quiet. On the map they gave us, there is a park around the lake."

"Okay good. We also need to find out more about this fjord where Schweindeiner boards. Is there anything in the travel notes?"

Barbara quickly read through the file about the stops while Tommy prepared his bed. "Says it is a fjord on Disko Island renowned for unexpected surprises such as whale sightings."

"Aren't all surprises unexpected by definition?"

"I didn't write it. I'm just reading it, Mr Grammar Police."

Tommy shrugged. "Sorry. Old habits. Does it say anything else?"

"Seems we visit there tomorrow night then leave in the morning, to visit Kee-ker-tar-sue-aq in the afternoon. That's on the same island."

"Qeqertarsuaq," Tommy gently corrected as he sat on her bed. "Okay, interesting. We need to see if anything is there. Then where?"

"A whole day here, I can't pronounce it." She stabbed at the map. "Says it is home to the biggest calving glacier. They think the iceberg that sank the Titanic calved from here."

"Interesting. Ilulissat. I have seen pictures. It should be spectacular."

"We're here to hunt a mass murderer, not take a holiday."

"Maybe we have to do the latter to achieve the former. Cheers up, Havers. It's not that bad."

"Sorry, I think I'm just tired."

Tommy nodded. "I'll pull the blinds. Do you want your mask?"

"Leave it on the table in case I need it. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Now sleep well."

Barbara nodded. Tommy moved slightly closer as if he was going to kiss her goodnight. Barbara pulled up the bedclothes and shuffled quickly under them. With a barely audible sigh, Tommy stood and took the two steps to his bed.

"Goodnight, Tommy."

"Goodnight, Barbara."

* * *

The next morning, they wolfed breakfast so they could be on deck when the ship docked at Sisimuit. The wide bay was bordered by a line of mountains on one side, capped with a line of snow. On the lower side coloured houses and blocks of flats dotted in amongst the grey rocks. "It's quite beautiful," Barbara said as she warmed her feet by stamping them on the deck.

"Stand there. Smile."

Barbara frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Taking your photo with the mountains and town behind you."

"Why?"

Tommy stepped closer. "People on holiday take photos of each other. I'm blending in."

"Oh. Good idea. Let me take you," she replied pulling out her phone.

"I've got longer arms." Tommy cuddled next to her and reached out to aim a selfie. "There. Smile."

"Whale on the port bow." The announcement over the public address system made Barbara jump. The sound of running footsteps on the decks amused her, but she and Tommy also turned to watch. People joined them at the rail and began pointing and yelling excitedly.

Tommy stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her with his phone camera pointing out in the general direction of the whale. When it breached, she heard his phone repeatedly snapping. The enormous humpback whale spun slightly revealing a spotty white belly before crashing back into the sea. Barbara shrieked with unexpected delight and leant back against Tommy. He kissed her on the head before taking another photo. The whale moved, and caught up in whale fever, they followed the others to the opposite side of the deck. The whale breached several times before flunking its tail in a playful wave and diving deep below the surface.

"That was special," Tommy said as he looked through his photos. "Here! I got a good one of his breach. And not a bad one of his tail."

The light was bright on the screen, so Barbara had to lean against him to see. "Yeah, that is a good one. How do you know it was a boy?"

She looked up to see him giving her a soft, sentimental look. "Barbara?"

"Yeah?"

"May I kiss you?"

"Because that's what lovers would do now?"

"No, because I..."

"Attention passengers," the announcement began, "we will shortly be docking in Sisimuit. Please make your way down to the Explorer Deck where we will commence disembarkation in fifteen minutes."

"Come on," Barbara said, "we should go ashore."


	8. Chapter 8

Sisimuit was quaint. The cottages close to the dock were smaller than Nuuk but just as brightly coloured. Along the distant foreshore at the top of the bay long blocks of red, white, green and blue flats sat on the rock in neat modern rows. Closer to the wharf, the old town was more higgledy-piggledy. Tommy took Barbara's hand as they walked up the road from the pier. At the crest of the hill, another small bay opened up in front of them. Groups of granite boulders pockmarked the azure waters. Seaweed grew around the bases and spread like tentacles of green taffeta across the shallow bay. Small, weather-beaten rowing boats floated close to shore. Old kayaks stitched from skins were pushed up onto the silvery shingle beach, their oars lying across them as if someone could jump in and immediately paddle away.

"This is so different to England," Barbara said as she stared at the scene.

"I'd be disappointed to come this far to find Hampstead Heath."

As they walked further into town, Barbara studied the patches of snow that lay in hollows in the shadow of the mountains that overlooked what in England would barely be a village. Grass and yellow flowering weeds grew in scrubby clumps. Around the houses, the patches had merged in a vague semblance of an unkempt lawn.

"Look at it, Tommy. It's so barren, and yet people have obviously lived here for years. You can just imagine the snow in winter."

"I'm glad this is summer. Here, stand there and I'll take a photo."

Barbara felt stupid but gave him a full, genuine smile. "What about you?"

"Selfie." He came and put his arm around her then adjusted the phone so they were both in the shot. "Smile."

They continued up the road which twisted past derelict buildings slowly crumbling away. Old warehouses and fishing huts seemed to be held up only by the thick layers of paint. Unseaworthy looking boats were stranded on blocks in high grass well away from the water.

"Do you think they will ever fix them?"

Tommy shrugged. "Probably. Maybe they get them back in the sea after the winter snows melt."

High on a hillock, a red church picked out in white trim stood like a beacon to God. Below it, a circle of old buildings, all brightly coloured with contrasting roofs and the same white trim, swarmed with visitors. Passengers from the ship were climbing the steep path towards the church as if drawn by the gasping Abide with Me that wafted towards them from what sounded like a pipe organ.

"That's the last thing you'd expect here," Barbara said.

"The organist is excellent. Beats Mrs Thethwick at Nanrunnel."

Barbara studied the map which contained useful information about points of interest on the back. "It was built in 1926. The old church is the blue one with the red roof below it in the museum and is apparently the oldest surviving one in Greenland and dates back to 1775. Do you want to look at the museum?"

"No, let's make our phone call first. How far to the lake?"

"Another half mile roughly. I'm dreading talking to Hillier."

"Why?"

"He will expect progress, and we haven't made any."

Tommy took her hand and gave her a cheeky grin. "I think we have, a lot."

Barbara looked up at him. His broad smile seemed to hint at a deeper meaning. Yes, in a way they had made progress, but it was towards something that could never be. Not in London. Not in Cornwall. Barbara pulled her hand free. She did not want a holiday romance that left her with nothing but memories at the end of it.

"Or maybe not." Tommy sighed and shook his head. "Are we about to argue again?"

She frowned. "No."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, that's a clear sign I am in deep trouble. What did I do?"

"Nothing. I'm just... feeling the strain of pretending to be your girlfriend."

"Then don't pretend."

"I won't." Barbara strode off ahead of him.

* * *

Tommy's mind spun with sharp retorts and angry arguments as he trudged in silence behind her. Despite being the most irascible woman on the planet, she was also the woman he loved. That feeling was only growing more profound with every awkward shared moment. He had seen the desire in her eyes in the shower. He had felt her affection in the way she held his hand. But he also knew she had no experience of love. He had to be patient but knew if Barbara allowed herself to love him, it would be the most wondrous experience.

He quickened his step and caught up to her. "Why don't we call Winston first?"

Barbara looked lost in thought. "Huh? Oh... yeah. Good idea. I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"I know."

"No need to be smug."

"I'm not, but I do understand, Barbara. Much more than you think. You should know that my..."

"Hallo, you two."

Tommy groaned then turned. "Volker, Kati, good to see you."

"We are going to the lake, then up the ridge and around the fjord. Are you sure you won't join us?"

"Not with my knee," Tommy said watching Barbara trying not to blush. "We will have a romantic stroll around the lake then back through town." Barbara's face coloured heavily.

"Ja, that's good." Volker slapped Tommy on the back. "Have fun. Come on, Kati."

Kati gave Tommy a seductive smile then licked her lips as she passed him. Tommy was shocked. Maybe Barbara had been right. A hand seized his and squeezed. He turned, relieved to see Barbara beside him. Her green eyes were shining brightly. He glanced back at Kati whose smile turned into resignation. For the first time, Tommy noticed the German was classically beautiful. Barbara was not only protective, she was jealous.

"You have nothing to fear, Barbara." She went to pull away. "About Kati, or about me."

"We should make that call."

The little lake was surprisingly pretty. Surrounded by verdant grass, it shone like a jewel. A ribbon of reeds lined one small section and birds dashed in and around them. A mother duck led a trail of offspring across the path in front of them, quacking orders, and nudging the wanderers back on track. They found a bench in the sun. Tommy sat back as Barbara fiddled with the phone to get a connection.

"Winston, how are you? There's no speaker on this stupid phone, so Tom... the Superintendent and I have to share it."

Winston laughed. "Put your heads close together. Now's your chance, ma'am."

"Winston!"

Tommy grinned. "I can hear you, Nkata."

"Oh, shit, sorry, Sir. Um, how's it going? Seen any polar bears?"

"No." Tommy put his arm around Barbara and gently stroked her arm. With their temples pressed together and the phone between them, she would have to make a fuss to make him move. Her arm tensed but then relaxed.

"What's new there?" she asked Winston.

"Not much. Everyone's waiting for you. We have no other leads."

"Schweindeiner is not onboard until tomorrow. The boat is picking him up from a fjord on how do you say it, Tommy?"

Tommy hesitated slightly. Barbara had called him by name in front of Winston. He noticed Winston's little gasp too. "Oh, er Quertarsuaq, also called Disko Island."

"Yeah... okay. Got it. That's on the map."

"We are going there in the morning," Barbara continued, "then to the village on the island in the afternoon. The next day we go over to Ilulissat, then back to the fjord. See if you can learn anything about what might be there. I suspect he smuggles it aboard here and then dispatches it from Ilullisat."

They could hear keys typing in the background. "Okay, Ill-loo-liss-at has an airport a few miles out of town. I'll get Guthrie to check it out."

"How are you and he getting on?" Barbara asked.

"Good. Stuart and I got him a bit drunk the other night and dared him to take charcoal tablets. They've worked a treat. Even he is impressed. He's even talking about doing his sergeant's exams."

"Really?" Barbara sounded disbelieving.

"Yeah, I know. The team said to tell you that I have leadership potential."

Tommy laughed. "You do indeed, Winston. Congratulations. Unorthodox, but if it works."

"Okay, Winston. We will ring you again from Ilulissat. See what you can find out."

"Will do, and you two have fun. Oh, and don't ring Hillier, I'll brief him if you like."

"Winston, you _are_ showing leadership potential. Thank you."

"No problem. Bye."

"Bye."

Barbara sat up and rang off, but Tommy kept his arm around her. "Winston is doing well."

Barbara frowned. "Yeah, but he didn't mean anything."

"About what?"

Barbara looked down. "About taking my chance."

"Ah, that. Maybe it's my chance too. We were interrupted, so you never answered my question. May I kiss you?"

Barbara looked at him. "Why? There's no one around."

"Because I want to. Very much. And, I have wanted it for a long time."

"Don't say that. It's not true. You might think it is, but you had plenty of chances."

"I did, but I was worried about what you would say. I didn't want to lose you as my partner, but after we were promoted, I... well I was trying to see if you felt the same way or whether I would make a fool of myself. Then this case came along and..."

"We were thrown together."

"Serendipity. I sense you want this too, Barbara. Am I wrong?"

Barbara looked away and turned her head towards the mountains. "Tommy... we... I don't want to be hurt any more than I have to be by this charade."

He leant towards her and put his other arm around her, gently pulling her back against him. He kissed the top of her head. "You don't have to be hurt at all. Neither of us does. It's not a charade, Barbara. As I tried to say down the road, I don't want you to _pretend_ to be my girlfriend. I want you to _be_ my girlfriend."

"You do?"

"Yes. No, actually I want you to be my wife."

Barbara stiffened. "Your what?"

"My wife."

She spun in his arms. "You can go from colleagues to marriage just like that. In one sentence."

"Two sentences, but yes, why not? It's not like we're strangers."

"We haven't even slept together, and you're talking about marriage."

"I'd be very happy to change that right now." He stood and held out his hand. He knew he was grinning like a teenager, but he could not help it. He had finally told her how he felt and it was as if a weight had lifted off him.

"No! I'm not racing back to the ship to have sex with you."

Tommy sat down, but he was still grinning. "It was more of a joke than a serious offer."

"See! Drive the knife in a bit more why don't you?"

Tommy was confused. "So, you do want to go back to the ship?"

"What? No. Was that your joke, or about marrying me?"

This was going horribly wrong. Tommy sat beside her and took her hand. He could see the tears brimming in her eyes. "Marrying you was not a joke." He slid off the bench onto his knee. "I have never wanted anything more than to spend our lives together. I love you, Barbara."

Barbara moved forward so that their foreheads bumped together. "You do?"

"Yes, I do."

"I... love you too, but I can't agree to marry you. Not yet. Not with the case and everything. There are too many things to consider. Too many issues."

Tommy sighed. She loved him! "That doesn't sound like a definite no either. I can wait."

"I can say yes to one thing." She lifted his chin. "Kiss me."

* * *

I thought I should bring them together before my frustrated readers leave... BUT, they still have a case to solve...


	9. Chapter 9

This chapter, with slightly unnecessary detail, was split from the next chapter and augmented especially to amuse Tess.

* * *

Still on bended knee, Tommy cupped her face in his hands. Waiting was agony. Her eyes tried to watch as he moved towards her, but she closed them when they lost focus. Their lips grazed each other. Tommy paused. Barbara instantly feared she had done something wrong. His grip tightened around her face.

"I do love you, Barbara."

"Then hurry up before I lose my nerve." Tommy laughed softly. He moved forward just as she had decided to take the initiative. Their mouths crashed together. They both pulled away. "Bloody hell. Sorry. I'm not good at th..."

This time Tommy's timing was perfect. Soft, warm lips caressed hers. Barbara slid her arms around his neck and held him close. When she tried to tell him she loved him, his mouth captured her top lip and gently rolled it sending a shiver down her spine. Even though she had never allowed anyone to kiss her intimately before, she was ready to try. His tongue flicked across hers accidentally when she opened her jaw slightly. She answered in kind eliciting a deep groan from Tommy. His Tommy's tongue ran around the circle of her lips. She twisted a little left to get better purchase and with gasp began to open to him. They paused. Tommy's hand encouraged her face closer.

 _Rock and roll I gave you all the best years of my life..._

They jumped apart. Barbara delved in her jacket pocket for her phone. "Sorry, I didn't even know it would work here."

"Argh." Tommy's eyes closed, and he pointed his face skyward.

"Hello?... Winston! Why did you ring this number?... Yes, I didn't think of it either. Trust Hillier to penny pinch... No, you didn't interrupt our sightseeing. We were... getting our heads together about the case... Haha... So?... I see. Yes, thanks. I'll tell Tommy... Yes, I call him Tommy now. It would look a little kinky if I called my boyfriend Sir... Okay, my undercover boyfriend. Thank you, Winston. You can go now... Yes, I will. Goodbye."

"Something important?"

"Maybe. Hillier wanted to know why we used the satellite phone in an area with mobile coverage. Winston thought quickly and told him we were testing that it worked. Anyway, there is an Arctic research station at Qeqertarsuaq. It belongs to some Danish university, but it might be used by Schweindeiner in some way. Winston suggested we check it out."

"Yes, good idea. Was he teasing you about us?"

She felt her face blush. "A bit. He does that. I never said, but he has guessed that I have a bit of a crush on you I think."

Tommy put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm hoping it's more than a crush."

She smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"Good, now, I think we were about to..." As Tommy moved to kiss her, the ship's horn sounded twice. It was the signal to be back onboard within thirty minutes.

Barbara put her hand on his chest. They rested their foreheads together. "We'd better head back."

Tommy let out a long sigh. "Yes, we had."

* * *

They held hands but walked silently back to the ship. In the main street, there were only a few shops other than the supermarket.

"Barbara, should I buy...some... er... um...?"

"Do they sell er-um here?"

He looked at her and scowled. "In case we... need it... them. Please don't make this any more embarrassing."

"Oh! Er - ums." Barbara screwed her eyes up and shrugged. "Er... yeah... probably."

He noticed her face colour as brightly as he was sure his was shining. "Keep walking back. I'll catch up."

Tommy entered the supermarket. It was neat but dark and much more like a small warehouse then Sainsburys. He walked to the counter. "Excuse me," he said in a loud whisper, "Do you sell condoms?"

"Ja," the man said as he vigorously nodded. "Seal, Walrus or Whale?"

Tommy closed his eyes and silently cursed. "What's the difference?"

The man held out his hands about five inches apart. "Seal." He moved them to about seven inches. "Walrus." Then he made a large circle with his hand. "Whale."

Tommy stared at him. He suddenly felt inadequate. "Two packets of Walrus please."

The man reached under the counter. "Sorry, no Walrus."

"Um, Seal then please."

The man shook his head. "None left."

"Whale?"

The man slapped two strips of five silver foil packets on the counter. Each pack was stamped with a big blue whale. Tommy quickly paid, gathered the strips and shoved them into his pocket. "Thank you." He avoided eye contact as he fled the store.

He caught up with Barbara on the hill near the ship just as the five-minute departure horn sounded. "That was embarrassing. They come in three sizes, Seal, Walrus and Whale but only had one size in stock."

Barbara started to snigger. "Your size I hope."

"Whale."

Barbara seemed to be trying hard not to laugh. "Is that supposed to impress me?"

"No! It'll be damned embarrassing if they're too big."

This time Barbara did laugh. They were at the foot of the gangway. "If you turn out to be a Seal, you'll have to wait until Ilulissat to try again."

"Shhh. I don't think I'm a seal. I'm sure we will manage."

* * *

All of the passengers had gathered on deck to watch the ship leave the harbour. It was a lovely afternoon with a gentle breeze blowing across the bow. Tommy and Barbara joined them, standing by the rail at the stern. Tommy had nestled in behind her and had his arms wrapped around her in a way that he hoped made her feel secure. "Don't be nervous, Barbara."

"Aren't you?"

He moved his face closer. Her hair tickled his nose. "Only that I'll disappoint you."

She twisted in his arms. "Seriously?"

"Of course. I know it's always portrayed as magical in the movies, but it takes time to get to know each other and discover what you like, and don't like. That's why one night stands are often unsatisfying."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Wham, bam, whoops, goodbye."

Tommy kissed her neck. "It will be nothing like that, I promise. We can take it as slowly as we need to."

"What about the bed?"

"I can ask Sabrina to move it back together."

"No, then she'll know we are... using it."

He frowned. "So?"

"I... maybe we can do it and then she can make it tomorrow? Or... maybe I'll chicken out..."

"There's no pressure, Barbara. Let's just watch as we leave port. Then we can go inside and change for dinner. You must be hungry."

"Yeah, I am. Those few hours ashore went quickly."

"They did, but they were productive. I am rather fond of Sisimuit."

* * *

Barbara waited until the last passengers had left the deck before she dared think about going to their cabin. Standing there with Tommy wrapped around her as they watched the town disappear behind them, she was content and dared to believe that for the first time in many years, she was happy. With ninety minutes until dinner, there was enough time to consummate their love, and yet it did not feel like enough. Somehow she had always imagined making love to Tommy for hours.

"What's on your mind?"

"Only that by the time we get ready for dinner there won't be enough time for... the whale."

Tommy started to laugh. "This whale has no intention of starting anything before dinner, so you can relax."

Barbara turned and looked up at him. "I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or disappointed."

Tommy stroked her face. "Think of it more as prolonging the anticipation." He bent down and kissed her softly.

With her arms around his waist and his around her neck, they locked their bodies together. The timber top of the railing pressed hard into her back, but she did not care. All her attention was on Tommy and the way he was beginning to kiss her. Soft caresses led to tentative exploration, then the most joyous feeling of connection that ran through her body. Their tongues found a rhythm that matched the rocking motion of the ship as it moved through the waves. The scent of salt spray wafted over his scent in an alluring mix. He let out a long breath of air from his nose that was warm against her face, then groaned in the same way she had seen in the movies. The front of her body was hot, and her insides felt like they were moving around in nervous yet wonderful anticipation.

They paused and broke for air. "Oh, good... bloody hell!" she stammered.

"Hmm." He began to kiss her neck. "We... really... should... go... to the... cabin."

Barbara pulled him closer and laughed to cover her shock and pleasure. "Hmmm, I thought you said the whale would not appear before dinner."

"No, I said he had no intention of starting anything. I didn't say he wouldn't say hello. Now come on, or we _will_ have an issue."

* * *

Tommy opened the cabin door. "We are both hungry aren't we?"

Barbara frowned. "For food or...?"

"Food."

On cue, her stomach growled. "Yeah."

"Then you should change in the bathroom."

"Oh, okay." She glanced down at his trousers which were uncomfortably tight. He had not had this much trouble controlling his body since he had been a teenager. She smiled. "Yeah, might be best."

Barbara gathered her clothes and closed the bathroom door. Tommy glanced at himself in the mirror then looks down. "And as for you, just behave."

"What?" Barbara called.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself."

Tommy knelt down and pulled the covers up from his bed. It was fastened to the wall in two places. He tried to undo but noticed there was a special tool required to unlock it. He sighed then stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. It was not fair on Barbara to expect her to sleep with him on a narrow cot. He pulled four hundred Danish Krone from his wallet, the equivalent of about fifty pounds. He took his card key and went into the corridor.

He found Sabrina vacuuming the stairwell. He passed her the money and with an apology and smile. "The seas are very calm. I was wondering if you would mind restoring the room to its original configuration while we are at dinner?"

Sabrina glanced at something at his side. She looked up and smiled but was trying not to appear too pleased. "Certainly, Sir."

Tommy walked back to the cabin. As he took his jacket off he groaned. A strip of whales was sticking out of his pocket.


	10. Chapter 10

And dear American and German readers, please don't think I am taking a cheap shot. The couple you are about to meet did exist, and the conversations did happen (admittedly not in one sitting and perhaps I have exaggerated- actually no, I haven't, and I hope no one takes offence) although their names have been changed to protect the guilty... Oh, and yes be warned there is one raunchy sentence in here, but not enough to change the rating.

* * *

Barbara surveyed the plates on display at the entrance to the dining room. Each of the sample meals looked delicious, and the desserts seemed to each call 'pick me'. They sat at a table for six and were soon joined by Kati and Volker. Another couple wandered over.

"Mind if we join y'all?"

"Of course not," Tommy said with his typically impeccable manners.

Barbara smiled politely. Unless they had a peculiar sense of humour the couple were clearly American. Apart from the drawl, the tall but stocky man was wearing a large felt hat, and loose denim jeans held up by a leather belt with oversized silver buckle in the shape of steer horns. Barbara glanced down to see his black calf-high snakeskin boots with what looked to be spurs. She nudged Tommy. His face was neutral, but she knew he was staring a little too hard at the man's blue satin shirt with white piping that reminded her of an Annie Oakley costume she had worn in a school show.

The man extended his paw towards Volker then Tommy. "Howdy. I'm Wyatt Thurman, and this here is my wife, Madison. We're from a little bitty ranch just outside Dallas, Texas, part of the good ole U-nited States of 'Merica."

Barbara quickly grabbed her glass and pretended to drink. Under the table, Tommy squeezed her thigh so hard she thought he would leave a bruise. She did not dare look at him.

"Tommy Lynley and my fiancée, Barbara Havers, from London."

"Howdy, ma'am." The man tipped his hat and gave her a slight bow.

"I am Volker. This is my Frau, er wife, Kati. We are from Berlin."

"Ber-Lin! My old man flew bombers over Ber-Lin when we gave them Nat-zees a serve back in '44."

You could have heard a pin drop. Even the surrounding tables had stopped talking. Barbara waited to see if Tommy would diffuse the situation, but he looked as dumbfounded as her. They both turned to see Volker's reaction. His eyes narrowed. "He would have had a good view with all the lights from the fires," the German retorted with so much insincere politeness that Wyatt was utterly oblivious to the message.

"I think..." Tommy began, but Volker shook his head.

Barbara studied the couple more closely as they sat. Wyatt was probably in his early seventies, but his wife was considerably younger. She looked as if she had stepped straight out of the 1950s. Her dress reminded Barbara of Audrey Hepburn. Unfortunately, Madison did not share the same svelte body shape. The full, billowy floral skirt looked good, but the plain black blouse with a shaped bust and cinched waist looked four sizes too small. She smiled at Tommy and two precisely aligned rows of white teeth dominated her face. When she threw her head back and laughed, Barbara, Tommy and the Germans exchanged alarmed glances. Barbara leant over to Tommy. "When she laughs, she looks like a horse. They say animals look like their owners."

Tommy had been sipping his wine. He caught his breath and began to wheeze and cough. "Excuse me. Sorry."

Wyatt eased himself into his chair. "I used to be quarterback back in the day." He slapped his stomach with both hands. "Bit too corn-fed now. They'd get a good price for me at market, wouldn't they Darlin'?"

"Fer shore, Pumpkin Pie."

"You run cattle?" Tommy asked.

"Yep, got over 80,000 acres and we stock 'em at one every three."

Tommy nodded and grunted noncommittally. "What brings you to Greenland?"

"I's always wanted to pot me a pol-uh bear. I got a grizzly up in the Rockies and the ole brown bear on the floor o'ma den is a bit threadbare."

The table stopped again. No one quite knew what to say. Wyatt slapped the table with his hand and started to laugh. The more he laughed, the more it sounded like he was about to have a heart attack. Spittle formed around his mouth which he wiped away on his sleeve. "Gots y'all a good one. I know yer caint shoot dem pol-uh bears."

"Now Pumpkin, don't go makin' these nice people think we're hicks."

"Ah, bless yer heart, darlin'. These folks know we ain't no damn fool hicks."

The waiter arrived. "Are you ready to order?"

* * *

Tommy and Barbara held hands as they walked from the restaurant up the two flights to their cabin. Neither looked at the other. Tommy opened the door. Barbara stepped inside and turned to him. They both burst into laughter.

"Ole Wyatt sure do know how to entertain," Tommy said mimicking the Texan's thick accent.

Barbara threw her head back. "Neigh!"

Tommy's arms came around her and pulled her close. "I want to see that again. You throwing your head back and whinnying."

Barbara hit him on the shoulder. "Tommy!"

He pushed her gently backwards as he kissed her. Her knees crumbled as they hit the bed and they tumbled downing a fit of kissy giggles. "The bed!"

"I had Sabrina change it back. I want to sleep with you."

"I gathered that, Mr Whale."

"No, I mean, I want to sleep with you in my arms. The single beds were too small for both of us."

"So, you just want to sleep?"

He kissed her neck. "I didn't say _just_ sleep."

Tommy's mouth found hers, and all thoughts of sleep were forgotten.

* * *

Tommy woke to find Barbara kneeling up on the bed looking out of the window. He ran his hand over the curve of her bottom and rested it in her back. "You okay?"

She looked down and smiled. "Yeah, good. I couldn't sleep. This constant daylight doesn't help."

"I love you, Barbara."

She frowned. "I know. I love you too."

"Then come over here and show me."

"You are a greedy whale. You come up here and show me."

Tommy knelt up behind her and kissed her neck, and he nestled in behind her. "Like this?"

Barbara had meant merely a kiss, but as she heard him tearing the foil, she gripped the windowsill and moved her legs slightly wider. "Oh, yes... just like this..."

* * *

Tommy and Barbara were a little late to breakfast. They spotted Volker and Kati trapped at a table for four with the Texans. "How unfortunate," Barbara said as they found a table for two on the other side of the dining room.

"Indeed. Although after Wyatt's initial gaffe, everyone seemed to get along. But let's hope we can continue to have that luck for the rest of the trip. I can only handle so much ye-ha per day."

"If I recall, that might have been similar to some sounds I heard this morning."

"Barbara. I did not call out ye-ha. Not under any circumstances."

Barbara started to laugh. "One day you might. I will keep that in mind."

Tommy snorted. "What time do we reach the fjord?"

Barbara glanced at her watch. "About an hour according to the schedule. Should we wait on deck?"

"Definitely. Top deck so we can see all around."

"You just want to snuggle in behind me again."

Tommy nearly choked on his egg. "We can't do that up there," he finally spluttered as he gave her a saucy grin.

Barbara turned red. "I meant like the other day."

"Ah, yes. We can do that."

* * *

Thirty minutes later after finishing breakfast, cleaning their teeth and grabbing warm jackets, they made their way to the viewing deck as the ship began to enter the fjord. Kati and Volker were standing by the rail.

"Good morning," Tommy said.

Kati smiled at him. "Good morning."

"Sorry we couldn't join you for breakfast," Barbara said with just enough sincerity not to offend.

"So are we," Volker said. "Anyway, they have gone to put on their expedition clothes."

"Good lord." Everyone sniggered at Tommy's response. "Well, we will probably see you later. I promised Barbara her prime spot."

They walked across the deck. Barbara stood on the vent and happily allowed Tommy to wrap himself around her. This time there were no nerves or uncertainties as they stood silently watching the towering sides of the fjord narrow.

"I don't want to chase criminals today," he said with a sigh. "I'd much prefer to stay here then go back to our cabin."

Barbara turned slightly in his arms. "Me too. I..." She lowered her eyes. "I never knew I could be so..."

"Voracious?"

"What? No. I was going to say happy."

"I didn't know that I could be either." Tommy went to kiss her then pulled away. He nodded towards the stern of the ship. "There's a rib leaving from the back."

Barbara twisted back. They watched the small boat bounce over the waves. "It's heading over there. Can you see anything?"

"There's something there. Why has the ship slowed down so much?"

"We're supposed to be watching for... whales." Barbara began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"I just imagined you leaping and jumping in the air and flapping your tail. A bit like last night really."

Tommy grabbed her hips, his fingers extending down over her rump. He gave a suggestive squeeze then leant down and kissed her. "I'm glad the way I made love amused you, but I don't recall leaping in the air."

"Not the jumping, more the diving bit." This time she kissed him. "And they're humpbacks..."

They both began to laugh before Tommy kissed her again. This time hungrily. He paused then pulled away. "Look, there's a hut near the shoreline and a small jetty."

They instantly switched from lovers to police and turned to look. "Yeah, that's where the rib's headed."

"Whoever gets on must be Schweindeiner. Can you see any other buildings?"

"No, we need binoculars," she complained. "We should try to get there for a look."

"How? And besides, our orders are to observe. We wait and see what happens."

"Yeah, I know. Hang on... is he loading something on the jetty?"

"Looks like big plastic insulated boxes like the fishermen use."

"Or the organ donations."

"What?"

"They carry hearts and bits around in big plastic iceboxes. I bet he's bringing some more of that stuff onboard."

"Then we observe and report. We are not here to arrest him. Not without proof _and_ backup."

"Yes, Sir."

"What? No, don't pull that on me, Havers. I'm looking out for you, not ordering you about."

"Always been the same thing with you."

"Barbara, that's not fair."

Barbara nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Tommy. It's just I hate feeling powerless. And I had begun to forget why we are here."

Tommy put his arms back around her. "What would we be if we weren't bickering? Now, let's mosey on down to the next deck and watch as he comes aboard."

Barbara wriggled round and was about to kiss him when she spotted the Texans and groaned. "Speaking of moseying, guess who's just turned up."

"Barbara! Tommy! How y'all doin' this fine mornin'?"

Barbara smirked as the American slapped Tommy on the back. Her lover straightened. She could see by his eyes that he wanted to throw the annoying man overboard. "We are well, thank you," Tommy said in his best Etonese.

Wyatt's dress-of-the-day again looked like it had come from the prop department of a second-rate theatre. He had on a long-sleeved bone shirt under a safari vest with more pockets and epilets than Jungle Jim. His faded giggle hat, adorned with a mixture of pins and fishing flies, looked alien in the polar landscape. Two cameras were slung around his neck with the straps crossed like bandoliers. Barbara struggled not to laugh. Tommy's grip tightened around her hand. She was not sure if it was a warning or to try to stop him from laughing.

"Whale!"

The Americans rushed to the other side of the ship. Tommy and Barbara dissolved into laughter as Wyatt waddled across at full turtle speed in his army surplus boots that were laced loosely around his sizable calves.

Tommy pulled her away. "Come on, let's wait down near the gangway."


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the delay. I wanted to get the crime right before I published.

* * *

Tommy held Barbara's hand as they waited on the promenade deck nearest the gangway. In the back of his mind, he could not shake a nagging dread. It was not a fear he could articulate, just a feeling of impending danger and pain.

"You okay?"

He looked at Barbara. She looked worried. "Fine. You?"

"I would be if I could feel my fingers. You're strangling them. So what's bothering you?"

He never could disguise his feelings from Barbara, and probably less so now. "I don't know. It's just... a feeling."

"Of what?"

"That this is not going to end well. Now that we're together, it seems different."

She squeezed his hand. "It's not. We still have each other's back. We're a double act remember? We just have to know when to be Havers and Lynley and not Barbara and Tommy."

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "Wise words as always, but we have always been both underneath it all. But, if anything does happen, I want you to know that last night was the best night of my life."

"Mine too."

"Not the sex."

"Oh! You certainly know how to flatter a woman."

Tommy turned and frowned. "No, sorry. Making love was sublime, but I meant it was not my... whale talking. It is my heart. It was beautiful because of our spiritual connection. The physical part was just the manifestation of that. But, what a manifestation!"

"Tommy!" Barbara nudged him.

"Just remember always that I love you."

"I love you too, but stop saying it like that. I couldn't bear it. Losing you."

"No, and if I lost you now..." Tommy wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.

* * *

Schweindeiner was nothing like Barbara had pictured him. "He's very fit, but otherwise looks ordinary," she remarked to Tommy as they watched him board. He was tall, but slightly shorter than Tommy. Neat grey hair, a trim physique and a deep suntan made the septuagenarian look years younger, but he did not look inherently evil or even unpleasant.

"Most psychopaths look just like everyone else. It's what we cannot see that is the danger."

They studied him as he calmly climbed from the rib onto the gangway that was rocking violently in the swell from the rib's wake. He was dressed well, in jeans, trendy sports shoes and an expensive looking all-weather coat. Two large plastic chests were carried by one of the crew onto the rear deck. Schweindeiner issued orders as they were strapped into place.

"We need to see inside those boxes."

"No," Tommy said firmly. "We would give the game away. They are padlocked, roped down and will probably be guarded by the crew as well as CCTV cameras. We need to see where they are offloaded and where they take them."

"You're right, but it still annoys me."

"Me too, but we have to be patient."

"Not my greatest strength."

"Mine either."

* * *

The entrance to Qeqertarsuaq Bay was a minefield of icebergs. It was not the small, chopped up styrofoam-in-a-pool type of ice Barbara had expected, but large, majestic, brilliant white icebergs that were as large as the ship. "Aren't they only about ten percent above the waterline?"

Tommy nodded. "Approximately."

"Then I hope the Captain knows where their bases are."

"They have sophisticated radar and sonography equipment. We will be perfectly safe."

"They probably told the passengers on the Titanic that too."

Tommy shook his heading mock disbelief. "Actually, these come across Disko Bight from the same glacier they believe the Titanic iceberg calved from."

Barbara raised then lowered her eyebrows. "Not comforting."

Tommy put his arm around her shoulder. "I've always fancied making love on an iceberg."

Barbara recoiled. "Not with me you're not. Those things tip over and besides it'd be me getting ice burns on my back, not you."

"Positions are negotiable. And I was thinking of a bed of furs."

Barbara stared at him. His eyes were smiling, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity. "No. Absolutely no way I am making love on ice. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change my shoes. We have a terrorist to pursue."

* * *

The wharf was too small for the ship to dock, so they went ashore in the ribs. At the end of the jetty, a set of jaw bones from a bow whale formed a welcome arch to the small town. A faded sign read, 'Welcome to Disco Island'. As they passed under the arch, one of the crew echoed the sign and handed them a map. "Turn left at the main road. Have a nice day," she said with the sincerity of a McDonalds' waitress.

The road was little more than a narrow strip of tough bitumen with broad dusty shoulders. Hand-in-hand, they dutifully turned left and played their role as tourists. "You know, in the 70s the population here was nearly wiped out."

Barbara turned to Tommy. "Really? Why?"

"They caught Saturday Night Fever."

"What? Ohhh, that's a terrible joke," she said hitting him on the arm. They both burst out laughing. "I believed you."

"I thought of that when I saw the sign."

"What happened to... Oh, look, aren't they gorgeous?!" Barbara wandered over to a table of puppies. An enterprising local boy, dressed in his tourist uniform of fur-skin pants and jacket, pointed to a sign. 'Pats 50 ore, Fotos 1 Kr."

Tommy handed him five krone and ruffled his hair. The boy held up three wriggling bundles of grey and brindle fluff. "Five weeks old," the boy said, "will be sled dogs."

Tommy took Barbara's photo as she cuddled two dogs while the third tried to climb into the warmth of her jacket. One of the dogs used his paw to pull her hair across her face, just as the camera lens shut. Tommy laughed at the result. Barbara handed Tommy the dogs and grabbed his phone. The puppies crawled all over him, licking and nipping. Barbara smiled as she took several photos of him, grinning and trying to remove paws from his hair.

"Aren't you a feisty one?" he said to one who had grabbed a lock of hair by its teeth and was pulling.

"That's the girl," the boy told him with the undertone of disgust all ten-year-old boys have for the opposite sex. "She's very naughty."

"Then you should name her Havers." Tommy laughed at Barbara's scowl as he put the pups back on the table. "Mange tak."

They continued up the hill towards the small red church. Barbara studied the town map they had been given. "The town looks like it's on a small peninsula. There's supposed to be a mountain." She looked around. "Where's the mountain?"

Tommy laughed then pointed to their left where the base of an enormous mountain rose. "There. Covered in cloud."

Barbara felt silly. "Oh, I didn't notice it there."

"It dominates the area."

"I was concentrating on other things. Anyway, we turn left here, follow the road past the beach of the other bay and the research station is about half a mile near a lake. They can't say anything about us looking. It's on the map as a spot to see."

They turned onto the road which dipped down before rising again. The bitumen faded to hard-packed dirt. "Good. Does it say much about it?"

"No. There are sports fields opposite, and a lookout further along the road. So we can probably spend some time there and not look too suspicious."

"Good." They crested the rise. "Oh. Look at that." Tommy raised his camera and began to shoot.

"Wow." Barbara stared at the bay. It was almost circular. The slate grey water was still, almost like a mirror. Protruding from it were three stacks of blinding white. The icebergs towered above the half a dozen fishing vessels that were searching for their morning catch. The one closest to shore was a cubic monolith that looked as if it had been mathematically sculpted. Behind it, a taller pointed berg reminded Barbara of a bishop's hat. Further out, a low piece of ice stretched forever and seemed to block the entrance to the bay. Beside her, Tommy's phone continued to click. She nudged him. "We have to stop being tourists and focus on the case."

He frowned. "I hadn't forgotten, but this is spectacular."

Barbara studied the map again. "There's another road that goes through the village. It's a shorter way to the research station from the ship. What if Schweindeiner uses that?"

"We were on the last boat ashore. He was still on the ship. Even if he has another rib specially for his use, we will should still be ahead of him."

"Good. Come on. I would rather be down there."

* * *

Tommy nodded. They walked silently and without physical contact towards the station past small almost square houses, all brightly coloured, hugged the road creating a kaleidoscope of pinks, mauves, lime, bottle green, yellows and reds, most with cute white verandahs and trim and steeply angled grey roofs. Each house had a ski-doo parked beside it under a neat cover.

"I'm fascinated by the architecture," Tommy said.

"It's like God dropped his jellybeans."

Tommy laughed. "He obviously doesn't hold with the three second rule." He pointed. That must be the station there."

Barbara squinted to see. A small complex of interconnected red buildings with the traditional grey roofs and white trim were clustered together inside a white picket fence in the middle of a large paddock beneath a small cliff that ran down from the mountain base to the sea. A small pretty lake was between the station and the road. The only sign of officialdom was the twin flagpoles flying Greenlandic and Danish flags. "Not overly impressive."

"What were you expecting out here. An Oxford college?"

"No, but that looks… cute, not like the source of some horrific biological weapon. Look there's a 4x4 leaving."

"It's heading to the wharf. Let's just stroll down and see if it comes back."

They walked slowly, holding hands and stopping at the beach as if they were like any of the other passengers what wandered nearby. Small pieces of ice, less than a foot long washed up along the black sand shore. Tommy picked one up and handed it to Barbra.

"It's cold!"

"It's ice. Here hold it up and I will take a photo as if you are holding and icerberg."

Barbara struck a pose. "Hurry up, it's melting and running down my sleeve."

Tommy eventually stopped laughing enough to take a photo before the small block of ice flew past his head. He walked up and gave her a kiss then stuck a piece of ice down her jacket. Barbara flailed around trying to shake it free, cursing him and generations of his ancestors. Before she could retaliate, he noticed the vehicle returning. "It's coming back."

They walked along the beach, more quickly and with Barbara still muttering threats. They turned off the beach near the soccer field, directly across the road from the research station entrance. The white Landcruiser was pulling up near the entrance to white timber garage doors. Schweindeiner hopped out of the cab and helped the driver pull back the tarpaulin.

"It's those boxes," Barbara declared. "We have to get closer."

Tommy raised his camera. "Stand there facing me. It makes a nice photo and we have evidence for later."

Barbara stood and smiled. "Anything else happening?"

"They're taking the boxes inside. All right, swap spots. You photograph me. Here, let's look at these first. It will buy time and look normal."

"I don't feel normal. Hey, that's a good phot of me. I normally look like a miserable cow."

"It's because you were looking at me."

Barbara hit his arm. "You self-centred, poncy…" Her words were lost in his quick kiss.

Tommy laughed then stood for his photo. "A little to the left. No, my left. That's better. The boes are off. Hang on. Make a stupid pose or something." Tommy made a strongman pose. "Yeah, that's pretty stupid. They're bringing out other boxes. There's a seat just up there. We should sit for a while and take in the view."

They climbed a low, rocky hillock to where there was a timber bench. It had an ornate brass memorial plaque but written in Danish, neither of them could read it. They sat and looked out to the left over the station and to the right, over the sea. "This is good. We can stay here for a while," Tommy said.

"Maybe not. Look who is going up to the station."


	12. Chapter 12

"Howdy."

"Hello, Wyatt."

Barbara heard the strain in Tommy's voice. She tried to sound friendlier. "Hiya. How are you?"

"We're fine an' dandy, thank yer ma'am. What y'all doin' sittin' here? Madison and me are headin' on up to that ole lookout. We sure would be happy fer y'all to join us."

"Thanks, Wyatt, but Tommy has a dodgy knee. We're just going to sit here for a while and rest, then stroll back to the ship."

"Okie dokie. We'll see y'all at dinner."

"Bye." Barbara forced herself to smile. They waved as they watched the Americans walk down the path and turn towards the lookout. They were unmissable with Wyatt still in his safari outfit and his wife in a pink puffer jacket with lime green ski pants.

"Thank you," Tommy said as he put his arm around her. "This dodgy knee of mine, which one is it?"

"Your choice. Do they serve meals in our cabin?"

"Unfortunately not. Maybe we need a table for two."

"I almost expected him to have a gunslinger belt and revolvers. And maybe be chewin' on straw."

"Please, Barbara. No mimicking, you sound too much like him. Any movement from Schweindeiner?"

"Not yet. I guess we just have to wait."

* * *

It was nearly an hour before the Landcruiser's engine started with a throaty roar. Heavily laden, it bounced low over the dirt track. Tommy stood and took out his phone as if to take a photo of the icebergs in the bay. Passing within about 30 yards, he was able to take a few shots of the vehicle below them. As it turned towards the ship, they quickly reviewed his photos. Through the windows, Tommy had captured glimpses of labels on the boxes.

"Can you make anything out?" Barbara asked.

Tommy slid his fingers apart on the screen to enlarge it. "Looks like... is that the biological hazard symbol?"

"Where? Yeah, I think so. That has to be it. There are words there too."

"S... P... O... R... can't read that one... S."

Barbara frowned. "Sports? Maybe they disguise it as sports goods?"

"Possible but unlikely I would have thought... Spores! That would make sense."

"Yeah, coat things in deadly spores then movement stirs it up, people breathe them in and whammo."

"Whammo? You've been listening to Wyatt far too much young lady."

"Could be worse."

Tommy raised one eyebrow. "Dare I ask how?"

"You could have called me old girl. Come on, we have to get back to the ship."

* * *

Tommy watched the crew unload the ribs as he stood at the stern railing. From where he was leaning he could just see the plastic boxes strapped down under a green tarpaulin.

"Did you want your hat?"

He smiled as Barbara found him and took his arm. "No, I'm fine."

"I can take over if you need to get ready. You've been here in the wind for too long. I hope you don't catch a cold."

After they returned from shore, they had watched the ribs bobbing around in the harbour. One had made three trips to a small beach about 500 yards from the wharf. Although Schweindeiner had been nowhere in sight, three boxes had come out to the ship and been craned aboard and roped down next to the ones from the fjord. Barbara was shivering, so Tommy had volunteered to take watch.

"I'm not cold. We can't watch all night though. I think it is safe to say that the boxes are destined for somewhere else."

Barbara nodded as she picked some fluff off his shirt. She left her hand resting on his chest. "Yeah. Ilulissat maybe?"

"Most likely." Tommy wrapped his arms around her. "We dock there at nine in the morning, so we have time for breakfast and then come up here."

"What are you thinking?"

"I think they will unload them onto the ribs again. The question is where will they take them. Possibly they will transfer them to another boat, but they might fly them out. I think the nerve agent came from the fjord and then, as you said, they mix it with the spores to provide a means to disseminate it effectively. The question is, do they mix them here and ship the final product, or do they ship the components?"

"Makes sense. I intend to phone Winston in the morning. It's too dangerous from here."

"I agree. There are several tours tomorrow so most people will be busy. We should be able to find a quiet spot. We should think about going down to dinner. I might have a shower. Care to join me?"

"In the shower? Together?"

He grinned at her. "That was the idea, yes. Nice warm water flowing over us. I could wash your back and your..."

"Tommy!"

He took her hand. "So that's a no?"

"I didn't say that."

* * *

Tommy yawned. The evening was turning into an anticlimax after their shower had turned rather hot and steamy. If they had not needed to eat, he would have happily snuggled in bed. Determined to avoid the Texan problem, he slipped the waiter money to ensure Wyatt and Madison 'met other guests'. Volker and Kati had seemingly decided not to take any chances either and had secured a table for two, so Tommy and Barbara sat with a Canadian couple and two older women from Edinburgh who were obsessed with cats.

"He's lovely," Barbara told the older woman politely as she looked at yet another photograph of one of her cats.

"Well, Darling, we should go to bed. We have a busy day exploring Ilulissat tomorrow."

Barbara looked at him with a mix of anger and relief. "Yes, _Darling_ , we should."

They said goodnight to the table. She pushed his hand away when he reached for it. "What's wrong?" he asked when they were alone in the corridor.

"Think about it."

He did as they walked silently back to their cabin, but he was still at a loss. "Barbara, I am sorry I have upset you, but I don't understand what I did."

She looked at him and sighed. "Don't worry about it. It's just me being stupid."

He took a step towards her. "But I might do it again if I don't know."

She looked down. "Please don't call me darling."

"Oh... okay. Why?"

Barbara looked up and glared at him. "I'm not her."

"Oh..." It clicked into place. "I would never compare you."

"I know. I said I was being stupid... I don't expect to take her place, but..."

Tommy chanced to pull her into his arms. "I love you, and I want to marry you as soon as I can. I can't change the past, Barbara. I made mistakes. I had loved Helen as a friend for many years, and our marriage was complicated by expectations. I pushed her into it for the wrong reasons. But with you, it's different. We need to be together. Everything else will fall into place."

"Will it?"

"Yes. I have known since Yorkshire that I need you to balance me. I should have realised what that meant then, and not tried to have you and a wife. I'm sorry. I have changed. I don't care about expectations or titles or anything else. I just want to be happy and to make you happy."

Barbara began to hug him back. "You do."

"Then nothing else matters or can't be resolved. Now, come to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be tiring."

* * *

Barbara woke and glanced at the clock. It was just before six. Despite Tommy's warning about needing sleep, they had stayed awake talking through their fears and had ended up making love very gently and slowly. It was a complete contrast to their earlier eager, almost desperate but highly satisfying encounters. Barbara had finally let Tommy in behind the last of her barricades, and their bodies had expressed a unity of their souls.

Tommy stirred in her arms. "Is it morning?"

"Nearly six."

He sighed. "I want to stay here, like this, forever."

"Yeah, but we have criminals to catch."

"Maybe we should resign."

"Now? We can't."

"No, after this case." He leant up in his elbow and pushed some hair behind her ear. "We agreed last night that we want to start a family, and that's not compatible with our work."

"Maybe we already have."

"Huh?" Barbara watched a grin spread across his face as he remembered. "We forgot the whales. I'm sorry."

"You look it. I didn't forget, Tommy. I chose not to mention it and spoil the moment."

His hand moved down her body to rest on her abdomen. "Any child born from last night would be... blessed, and so would we."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"We'll resign."

"Thank you. We won't regret it. And the other benefit is that I won't have to have the seal, walrus, whale discussion with any more shopkeepers."

"I might not be..."

"I know. But I can't change that if whales intervene." Tommy started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking of that movie about that whale?"

"Moby Dick?"

"No, Free Willie."

"Thomas Lyn..." Her laughing admonishment was lost in his kiss.

* * *

The narrow entrance to Ilulissat harbour was surrounded by a low ridge of the now familiar folds of grey gneiss. On the high side, a fuel depot towered over the entrance. The tanks lacked the neat rows of Western tank farms. Each grey cylinder seemed plonked by a crazy giant too lazy to level the land. Small craft with noisy engines revved near the entrance as they waited their turn to go in or out.

Tommy and Barbara were on the last boat ashore. They had waited until the boxes had been loaded onto ribs on the opposite side of the ship to the passenger transports. As they bobbed in the water, they watched as the German passengers, almost all dressed in a uniform of thick coats, shorts and boots with knee-high black socks, and hiking sticks, formed into orderly lines ready for their trek to the glacier. A smaller group of English-speaking walkers gathered more haphazardly around a small woman who seemed to be trying to take their names.

Barbara pointed. "There's Madison. I wonder where Wyatt is?"

"I don't know."

"Or care?"

"Does it show? I thought Kati and Volker would be hiking, but they're not with the group."

"Maybe they are going by themselves."

"Probably. If we hang around the marina, we have the best chance of seeing if Schweindeiner comes ashore. Can you see those boxes?"

"Yeah, about 200 yards behind us. Looks like they are coming ashore here too."

"Good. Any decent observation spot we can use that won't arouse suspicion?"

Barbara checked her map. "The bridge crosses the river and has a good view of the harbour according to this."

"Okay. We'll slowly head up there."

* * *

They stopped on a hilly outcrop overlooking a small dam so that Barbara could ring Winston. Tommy stood guard, waving and smiling at the hikers as they passed while Barbara hunched over her phone out of sight behind the rock.

"Any news?" he asked as she emerged.

"None. I told him about the spores. He's getting it checked out. I said we would ring again before we leave this afternoon."

"Okay. Not much more we can do."

Barbara took his hand. "I know it's frustrating, but we can't arrest anyone until we are sure a crime has been committed."

"I know," he said with a heavy sigh. "Let's see if we can find that evidence."

They sauntered up the road towards the concrete bridge. Being high, it provided a great view into the harbour. Tommy made Barbara stand at the railing while he took photos. He took two of her in case they needed to show anyone, then took a series of shots focussing on the small red boat that the boxes were being offloaded onto.

"Do we try to follow the boxes?" Barbara asked.

"Not sure how we can without looking obvious. I was sure they would go to the airport. Any ideas what they're up to?"

"No good."

"Thank you Inspector Obvious."

"Look. Pigman is not going with the boat. He's coming up the hill."

"Let's slowly start walking into town. Let him pass us, then we can follow him."

Barbara looked up at him. "Do you think that's a good idea? It might be obvious, especially if he leaves the town. It's only two streets."

"It's the only idea I have, Barbara. I'm open to suggestions."

She inhaled then exhaled slowly then looked at Schweindeiner rapidly approaching. She tugged his hand. "We have no choice."


	13. Chapter 13

Tommy shuddered. Barbara looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Someone walked over my grave." He felt the sweat beading on his forehead as the feeling of foreboding flooded back. "Sorry."

She gripped his hand tightly. "Tommy... don't do anything hot-headed."

"I'm not planning to."

"You never do, _Sir_."

"You're not exactly an angel on that front yourself, _Havers_."

"No, but I am serious, Tommy. Please. For me."

"I promise."

They reached the first of the scattered shops on the main street and stopped to look in the window of the Post Office, which doubled as a souvenir shop. Barbara looked at the map then glanced around as if getting her bearings. "He's about 100 yards away."

"Keeping walking and window shopping. Let him pass us."

A minute later, Schweindeiner marched past them without giving them a second glance. They let him get about 100 yards ahead before the followed. He turned left at the crossroads and up the hill.

"Where does that lead?" Tommy asked.

"To the supermarket then out to the hospital, but if he turns off again, it will take him to the glacier."

"My money's on the hospital."

"Yeah, it won't look odd if we follow him at least as far as the turnoff."

"Okay. If he continues to the hospital, we will have to wait for him to come back."

Barbara jumped when her phone rang. "Winston?"

"Inspector, this is Assistant Commissioner Cameron. Nkata passed on your message. If you are correct, there will be enough material in those boxes to kill off the population of London, or any other major city. MI6 are involved now, and our military spy satellites have been tasked to focus on Ilulissat. They will take about 30 minutes to track into position. We can then follow that boat, and Schweindeiner, but until then it's imperative that you learn what is going on. Do you know where he is?"

"In sight, Sir."

"Good. And the boat?"

"It left the harbour and was headed towards the mouth of the glacier."

There was a pause and a click. "Havers, you are now on speakerphone. We have a map, so we understand where you are. We can track your path from your phone signal. Do you think the target is heading to the hospital or glacier?"

"Too early to tell, Sir."

"Keep him in sight, and call as soon as you know."

"Yes, Sir."

"Is Lynley with you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Tell him not to do anything foolhardy. Same goes for you, Inspector."

"Yes, Sir." Barbara hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. "That was AC Cameron. MI6 are going to track the boat on military satellites, but it will take a while. We have to report on where he goes. And he stressed that neither of us is to do anything foolhardy."

"Why does everyone think we are so reckless?"

"History."

* * *

They continued to saunter behind their quarry, gradually allowing the distance to extend, but keeping him in sight. "He's turning," Tommy said quietly. "He's headed up to the glacier lookout."

"Good. It looks normal for us to be going up there too."

"You'd better phone in."

Barbara pulled out her phone and dialed. Winston answered. "He's heading up to the glacier. We're following discreetly."

"Okay. Just stay safe. Everyone here's flapping around like geese with their wings clipped. Let me know if anything changes. The satellite will be overhead in about seven minutes."

"We will. Bye." She turned to Tommy. The satellite will be overhead in about seven minutes. I guess we just follow."

Tommy took her hand. "We're fine. Once they have him we can relax."

Schweindeiner disappeared over the crest of the steep hill. Suddenly the air was filled with barking and howling. "What the hell is that?" Barbara asked.

"Dogs. They said on the briefing that this was the area of town everyone keeps their sled dogs."

As they reached the top of the rise, Barbara could see hundred of fenced plots, each with kennels of different sizes. Dogs, large and small, patrolled their boundaries. The ones closest to the road were barking as Pigman passed making ones further across the narrow valley howl in response. "Not so cute when they grow up."

Tommy looked at her. "They're working dogs, not pets, and most are only a few generations away from wolves."

"Great. I hope none of them chews through their fences."

The dogs seemed less interested in Tommy and Barbara as they passed, with only a couple giving them grumbling growls. The road slowly climbed again before ending in a cul-de-sac. Barbara's phone rang again. "Yeah, okay. Yes."

"Satellite in place?"

"Yeah, they want us to stay as eyes on the ground until they know what he's up to, then we step back and just play tourist."

"Suits me, but somehow I doubt it will be that simple."

Near the top, they could see the road end. A wooden boardwalk stretched into the distance across a tundra covered in small delicate wildflowers. Tommy took a picture. The signboard showed that the track was circular and led back to town along the cliff tops.

"Can you see something?" Barbara asked.

"No, but it's stunning scenery, and we need to look like tourists."

They started along the boardwalk. Signs highlighted ancient Inuit burial grounds and the remains of a small village. "I can't imagine living here."

Tommy laughed. "Many people think England has a lousy climate and probably say the same thing. To each their own."

"Oh!" Barbara stopped dead. Before them a small bay with an unusual beach of grey and orange sand came into view. Huge blocks of snow white ice filled the bay while crystal clear azure water lapped around their bases. She heard the distinctive click of his phone camera.

"Damn my memory is full."

"Do you have signal? Can you upload it to the cloud?"

"Good thinking." Tommy's thumbs moved began to type furiously. "What's Schweindeiner up to?"

"Still on the boardwalk."

"Okay, let's follow him."

They walked another 200 yards before they saw the boardwalk twist to the left and head away from the beach and up to a high rocky outcrop. At first the German seemed to be following the path. Then he paused and looked around before turning off the path and ducking behind a small cluster of rocks.

"I knew he'd do that," Barbara bemoaned. "Do we follow him?"

Tommy looked around. "No that's too dangerous. Phone it in and we will continue up the boardwalk. We should be able to see from up there."

Barbara checked her signal. "I'll have to use the satellite phone. I don't know how you had a signal."

"I don't have a cheap phone like yours."

"Don't start your class nonsense now."

Tommy frowned. "I'm not. Simply stating facts."

Barbara shook her head. Winston answered and she quickly updated him. "Do you have him on satellite?"

"Yes. Just see if he leaves the area. Follow him if you can?"

Barbara hung up. "Orders to follow if he leaves, otherwise we observe."

They hurried up the path. It ended at the base of the rocks, replaced by a steel ladder. "Don't slip."

Barbara stared at him. "I won't." Sometimes he could still be an annoying, patronising pounce.

There was no path at the top, just a series of blue dots painted beside rocks worm smooth from the soles of thousands of hiking boots. The terrain was uneven and slippery. Lichen grew in the dark recesses where the gneiss folded and twisted. The rock's glassy texture gave no traction and after four steps, Barbara unceremoniously fell on her knees. A hand extended to help her to her feet. "Nothing. Say nothing."

He grinned at her. "Not a word."

"Can you see him?"

Tommy turned. "Oh, Barbara, look at the view."

She stood then scrambled up onto one of the rocks for a better view. The beach was far below them. A clear line of icebergs rose behind it. To the left it was nothing but pinnacles and valleys of ice. White. Aqua. Blue. To the right the sea looked like royal blue glass stretching into navy. She turned to look behind her. Rising into the sky was a wall of white where a wall of glacial icebergs piled up haphazardly behind those in front that had grounded on the sea bed. "I feel... tiny."

Tommy took a few photos. "Can you still see..."

He stopped when a bright flash glinted off the ice. "What was that?" Barbara asked.

Tommy pointed. "Out there! Is that a...?"

"Submarine?" Barbara put her hand to her forehead. "Bloody hell. Where did that come from?"

"I don't know but someone on the beach is signalling back."

"And look, that red boat is coming around the point."

"Phone Winston. We have to get down there."

"And do what?"

"The satellite can't track a sub if it dives. We have to stop them."

"No, Tommy. We have to observe."

He was already halfway down the ladder when Winston answered. "Can you guys see that sub?"

"Sub?"

"Subma-bloody-rine. There's a thumping great sub that surfaced just in front of that ice pack, and it's signalling to Schweindeiner. And Tommy has decided to chase it."

"Hang on. I'm putting you on speaker."

"Havers? It's Commissioner Cameron again. We don't have assets to capture that sub. You have to try to stop the boxes being loaded."

"How? They're on a boat going to a sub and we are on top of a mountain."

"I don't know but the Americans are thinking of launching a ballistic missile. They argue that a few thousand lives lost to save millions is justified."

Barbara swore. "So you are saying if we want to live, we have to stop them."

"It's not a threat, Inspector. I am just outlining the reality. Our government has argued against that, as have the Danes, but..."

"Yeah, I know. Shoot first, apologise later. We'll doo what we can."

Barbara scurried down the ladder and ran to catch Tommy. She could see the two hiking groups from the ship approaching form the other direction along the cliff top path.

"What did they say?"

"Basically that we have to stop them, or we, and all of Ilulissat will be blown off the map by the Yanks."

Tommy stopped and looked at her. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah, this is out of control, Tommy."

He hugged her. "Whatever happens, I love you."

"I love you too. Just when we had a chance at being happy..."

"We still can." They walked as fast as they could without arousing attention.

"Yeah, I can see the headlines now. Lynley and Havers save the world. Tommy, be realistic. How can we stop a sub?"

"I have no idea. But we have to try."


	14. Chapter 14

As they reached the rocks on the end of the beach, Tommy saw a zodiac with a single driver bouncing across the waves towards where Schweindeiner was standing. They crouched behind one to observe. "They're picking him up."

Barbara grunted. "Why the hell didn't he just go with the boxes and save us a hike?"

"Then we wouldn't have this scenery as our last memories."

"If we're blown to kingdom come, how will we remember?"

"I'm trying to be positive, Barbara."

She grunted again. "The red boat still has a way to go. I don't suppose you have a spare bazooka?"

"No, I knew there was something I forgot to pack."

"Pity, me too. Hey, is that a Russian badge on the sub?"

Tommy squinted to see the red hammer and sickle on the side of the conning tower. "Not Russian exactly. That's Soviet."

"The difference being?"

"After USSR collapsed, they sold off a lot of military equipment to private individuals, submarines included. I assume this is one of them. The Russian government uses different insignia."

"Will the satellite see it?"

"I imagine they will even know the model and maker. They might be able to trace who bought it."

The boat ran up onto the sand. As Schweindeiner went to climb aboard, two figures ran down the beach towards him. One was pointing a pistol at him.

"Who the hell is that?" Barbara asked.

"Kati and Volker."

"What are they...?" A shot rang out followed by a volley of machine gun fire. "Who's shooting?"

"Volker shot at Schweindeiner I think, and the boat driver must have an automatic weapon. Stay here and call it in."

Tommy stood and ran towards the beach. He was unsure what he was going to do, but hiding behind a rock was insufficient. He had to do something. He dived behind another rocky outcrop when the boat driver spotted him and lifted his weapon. Splinters of rock rained down on his back. Another three shots came from the beach. Tommy saw Schweindeiner fall backwards. He lay on the sand grasping his knee and shouting curses in German. Kati was shouting back as she knelt over Volker who was prostrate on the sand. As he got closer he could see the boat driver floating face down in the water. A pool of red swirled around him.

"Kati?" Tommy called, "is Volker alright?"

"Nein, nein. Er stirbt. He is dying."

Tommy ran to the couple. Volker had a row of small holes in his jumper in a line across his chest. Laboured shallow wheezes burbled with blood. "I'm so sorry. Why are you here?"

"We are Bundesnachrichtendienst. We came to stop him poisoning the world."

"BND? Barbara and I, we are..."

"Ja, British Metropolitan Police. We know. Only the British would send bobbies as spies. We were monitoring you." Her eyes moved off Tommy. "Careful!"

Sensing movement behind him, Tommy turned just as Schweindeiner lunged for Volker's gun. Tommy was faster. His hand wrapped around the handle and raised it in one fluid motion. "Don't even think about it." The man made another lurch forward. Without conscious thought, Tommy shot him in the other leg. The German screamed then rolled into the foetal position clasping his knees.

Volker's hand grabbed Tommy's coat. "Must... stop... the... boxes. Help Kati."

"We will, I promise."

"Ja... gut." Volker's hand opened and fell away. His eyes glazed and after one last gasping wheeze, his head lolled to the side.

Tommy closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Kati shrugged. "He was my colleague, nothing more."

Tommy did not believe her but was not going to question it. "Even so, I know how it feels to lose someone close."

Barbara raced along the beach. "Tommy, the red boat is nearly at the sub." She looked at Volker and turned to Kati. "I'm so sorry, Kati."

Kati waved her hand. "Take the rib," Kati ordered. "Stop them."

Tommy turned and for the first time noticed that the blood on Kati's jeans was hers, not Volker's. "You're wounded."

"I'll live. It entered above my knee, and I think it passed out my buttock. I can guard Schweindeiner. You must stop them loading those boxes."

Tommy looked at Barbara. They both leapt up and sprinted to the rib. Tommy pushed it off the sand then scrambled over the side. "Hang on," he told Barbara as he started the engine.

"Cameron said to ignore the spores. The Danish Navy SEALS raided the research station. They are Arctic Mushrooms spores and harmless. The lab thought they were providing them for a commercial breeding programme."

"Okay, good." The boat bounced over a large waved drenching them in water. "Sorry."

Barbara leant closer so she could be heard. "They also raided Schweindeiner's lab. The stuff is a powder, but it is rendered harmless if it comes into contact with salt water. If we can tip it in without breathing any of it..."

"If we sink the box we should be okay. We could try to sink the boat."

"No, what if the sub can recover it. We have to destroy it, Tommy."

"Easier said than done."

Barbara nodded. "I know. Look, the red boat is nearly at the sub. Can you get between them?"

"I'll try. Get up the front. This is going to get rough."

By his reckoning, it was almost a kilometre to the boat. Even though they looked closer, there was a couple of kilometres between the red boat and the sub. Tommy steered the zodiac straight at the delivery vessel. Behind it, a large iceberg loomed. The smooth white face silhouetted the red in a strikingly beautiful contrast. On the deck, he could see movement. Apart from the captain, two men were on the rear deck next to the boxes. One had a short-barrelled automatic rifle but seemed uninterested in their approach.

"They must think we're Schweindeiner," Barbara shouted at him over the noise of the outboard.

"Good, we need all the time we can get." Tommy noticed the barrel of an Uzi wedged between the inflatable side and the aluminium deck. "Barbara, can you reach that weapon? Be careful. It's probably not on safety. I think the driver dropped it."

Holding on to the rope running along the top of the rib, Barbara reached under and tugged the gun free. She quickly flicked on the safety catch and cleared the weapon. "The mag is half full."

Tommy bumped the boat over the wake of the red boat. "That'll have to do."

Barbara leant down. "There's a box of magazines here. All full."

Tommy smiled. "Then we have a chance."

A loud crack ricocheted across the bay. Their boat jerked violently. Both turned fearing gunfire but then saw a zagged vertical line in the iceberg behind the red boat which was bobbing like a cork as the captain fought for control. "The berg cracked," Barbara said. She sounded awestruck. "Look, part of it fell off."

"Pity it didn't turn..." Tommy had an idea. "Barbara, if I swing the boat around. Empty the mag into the base of the crack."

"You're mad. We'd have to get underneath it."

Tommy turned the rib and sped towards the wall of ice. It was groaning and crackling. He could almost feel the energy waiting to explode. He pushed the outboard to the left, and the boat began to turn. "Now!"

He watched as the Uzi jumped in Barbara's hand. She gripped it harder and aimed at the spot he wanted. Large shards of ice broke away. The Uzi went silent. Barbara ejected the empty mag and expertly jammed in another and continued to shoot. The rib bobbed violently in the wake of falling ice.

"Enough." Tommy gunned the engine. He leant forward as if urging it to go faster. The top of the berg began to lean towards them.

"Hurry!"

"It's going flat out."

For the next thirty seconds, Tommy was sure that they would be crushed by a wall of falling ice. The noise was deafening as the ice swivelled and fractured. Large chunks fell into the sea around them. He glanced back to see the red boat slowly being dragged towards the berg.

He smiled as he looked at Barbara. "Its engines aren't big enough to outrun it."

She looked over her shoulder and swore. "They're throwing the boxes overboard."

"They'll be crushed by the ice."

"They look like they're floating to me."

Tommy knew if they turned back they would die. He hesitated before revving the engine back to full. "We'll go back after the berg breaks."

Barbara nodded then pointed up ahead. "Who's in that zodiac?"

"No idea. Danish SEALS with any luck."

"They normally send more than one person."

Further speculation ended with a sudden eerie silence. They turned to look just as the berg rolled on top of the red boat. Seconds later Tommy's ears rang as the thunderous splintering explosion reached them. The concussive wave threw them back into the boat. The engine died when the force pulled the kill switch from around his wrist. Tommy instinctively rolled to cover Barbara as chunks of ice hit them. He grunted as a searing pain burned in his shoulder.

"Tommy? Are you, okay?"

They struggled to sit up as the rib corkscrewed in the high waves. Water washed over the side. On his knees, Tommy crawled towards the outboard. Grateful that it had an electronic starter, he reinserted the kill key and pushed Start. The engine sputtered but did not fire. He cursed as he opened the choke and repeatedly pressed the button. It took almost a dozen attempts before it roared to life. Tommy spun the boat around and headed back into the wake, the safest way to manage the dangerously high waves.

"You're hurt."

"No, I'm okay."

"Tommy, there's blood coming out of your neck."

He felt his neck. A warm ooze coated his fingers. He felt around. The wound was at the top of his shoulder away from his carotid. The large lump over his collarbone explained the pain. "I'll live. It's not too bad. I think I've cracked my clavicle. Where's the boat?"

"I can't see it."

A claxon horn sounded twice. Tommy glanced towards the sub as it slowly sank from sight. "The sub's diving. Hang on tight."

"Why?"

"Just hang on, Barbara."

Within seconds, her question was answered. As the sub dived, they were sucked towards it at frightening speed. The ocean turned into a washing machine as their zodiac dipped, rose and tumbled. Tommy gripped the handle of the outboard with both hands as he fought for control. Barbara wrapped her legs around him and twisted the rope around her arms three or four times. For what seemed like an hour, Tommy was sure they would die.

"I love you," he shouted. A grunt was his only answer.


	15. Chapter 15

The conning tower disappeared beneath the surface with a hiss. High waves bounced back from the wall of ice behind it, buffeting the zodiac again. Barbara clung to the rope with the tenacity of a bulldog. She tried to look at Tommy, but the salt spray made her close her eyes and tuck her face into her arm. She could hear Tommy straining to keep the boat nose to the waves, but it was still spiralling out of control. The boat bounced, and she hit her head on the hard deck.

As the waves slowly subsided, Barbara scrambled to her knees. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Tommy eased back on the engine then rubbed his shoulder. "Yes, although goodness knows how. You?"

"Yeah."Barbara rubbed her head. "I bumped my head but otherwise I'm fine."

"Good." Tommy turned the boat in a slow circle. "We need to find those boxes. Can you see any?"

Barbara looked around then pointed to her left. "The boat went down near that jagged iceberg over there. Hey, that other zodiac we saw is poking around there."

"Whoever it is, they want the same thing." Tommy revved the engine and started to speed across the top of the waves.

Barbara shielded her eyes with her arm. Her head hurt a lot more than she was willing to admit and the bright sunlight made it worse. Large chunks of ice scraped against the boat as Tommy weaved the shortest path through the shattered berg.

"Can you see the boxes?" he called.

"No... Wait... yeah, I can see one... to the left, over there."

"Got it."

Barbara did not move her eyes from the box. It looked like one of the ones from the research station, but she could not be sure. Tommy slowed the engine and eased up beside it. Her heart fell. "It's the spores."

"Shoot it. Sink it."

"It's not a threat."

"No, but if it drifts on the currents, I don't want to chase after it again."

Barbara pulled the Uzi from her coat. She aimed and put a burst of three rounds into the box. She pushed it under the surface and air gurgled out. The box slowly sank. "One down."

"Two, there's another one over there." Tommy edged the boat along the side of a large fragment of clear ice. "More spores."

Barbara shot the box and with a shove, submerged it. She looked up to see the other zodiac speeding towards them. "We've got company."

Tommy squinted. "Is that...?"

"Yeah, it's Wyatt. Can this day get any better?" Barbara shoved the Uzi under her coat.

Wyatt slowed his engine but his zodiac bumped theirs forcibly on the starboard bow before sidling up. "Why are you sinking the boxes?" he demanded in a New York accent.

"Let me guess," Tommy said, "you're CIA and your name is not Wyatt."

The man smiled. "Something like that. Wyatt was a fun character. So exaggerated, everyone always believes he's real. Now, why did you sink those boxes? I am taking them in."

"They were the mushroom spores. Nothing to learn from them," Tommy replied calmly.

"Then why sink them?"

Barbara was fighting to keep her temper. "So that no one picks them up and has the bright idea to combine them with Schweindeiner's powder and kill off half of mankind."

"That's a slight exaggeration, Barbara," the man formerly known as Wyatt said. "Anyway, I have one box of spores. That's enough."

"Enough for what?" Barbara looked into his zodiac. Both of Schweindeiner's boxes lay in the bottom with the third box of spores balanced on top. "We have to destroy that stuff."

"I don't think so. My organisation will be keeping it." He raised a pistol and trained it on Tommy. "I feel sorry for you, I really do. You're just ordinary cops sent to do what MI6 was too scared to, but I'm afraid it has to end here."

Barbara glanced at Tommy. He nodded slightly to his right. His eyes conveyed his love and determination. Barbara moved closer to the other boat.

"You can't shoot both of us at once," Tommy said with no hint of fear in his voice.

"I don't have to shoot either of you. I will shoot your boat, and you will drown, or maybe die of hypothermia. No trace of violence on your bodies. All nice and neat. You'll be heroes, and knowing the Brits will probably receive a posthumous bravery award or have the Queen bestow some order of something ridiculous on you. By then we will be long gone."

Barbara saw Tommy using the rocking of the boat to shuffle closer to Wyatt while she distracted him. "What about Kati? She'll have seen everything."

"Ah, poor Kati. By now she will have joined Volker and Schweindeiner in some German Valhalla. Madison will have seen to that."

"Germans are not Norse," Tommy said with a degree of distain.

The man shrugged. "Why, what would a liddle ole country boy know?" he said with his fake Texan accent. "Do I look like I care?" he said in his normal voice.

"There's a British military satellite tracking this, and..." Barbara pulled her satellite phone from her pocket, "they've heard every word." It was a bluff, but she hoped to disconcert him.

"Unless it has super-waterproofing, I doubt that, but even so, who cares? I have the boxes. I have my transport." He gestured to the left. Barbara saw the conning tower rising from the water. "And you will be dead." He shot at the inflated rubber rim of the rib. Air hissed out as the port side bow of the zodiac began to go floppy.

Tommy and Barbara both jumped onto Wyatt's rib. It rocked violently, and the box of spores slid off the others and over the side. Before Wyatt could raise his gun, Tommy had punched him in the jaw. Wyatt staggered but remained upright. He shoved the barrel of his gun into Tommy's stomach.

Barbara pressed her Uzi into Wyatt's neck. "Drop it."

"You two don't give up; I have to give you that. But it's the law of physics, Barbara. If you shoot me, my fist will close, pulling the trigger and shooting your partner. Gut wounds are messy and with this calibre weapon, fatal. Now instinct tells me that Tommy here means a bit more to you than he should. Madison thought your fieldcraft was excellent, but I'm a romantic soul, and I think you two are genuinely in love. So, no, you won't shoot me."

"Don't hesitate Barbara." Tommy stood upright and looked defiant.

She pressed the barrel deeper into Wyatt's skin. "And you won't shoot Tommy because then I will shoot you."

Wyatt laughed. "What? A Mexican standoff? We can't stand like this forever. Surrender now. You can't win."

"Why are you doing this? The US and UK are allies."

"My government is... let's just say that I no longer have faith in any government. I gave up believing that an unnamed star on the wall at Langley was a fair reward for my life. Since 9-11 we have re-entered the age of private armies. Nation states are an anachronism, and the world is overpopulated. Landsborough was a test. It went far better than we had hoped. Now we will thin out the Third World."

"You're in this with Schweindeiner?" Barbara moved her foot slowly so that it was in front of Wyatt's.

"He was a means to an end. He had the knowledge we needed, so we tolerated his Utopian neo-Nazi dreams. But he was always expendable."

"And how do your dreams differ?" Tommy asked as he and Barbara exchanged a silent conversation.

"And why Landsborough?" Barbara added.

"We simply want to restore the world order and get rid of those draining our planet's resources without giving anything back. And as for why that village, the reason is extremely mundane. Schweindeiner's friend, some old lady, had been treated badly by the people there. It was his revenge."

Barbara purposely eased the pressure on Wyatt's neck hoping that he would sense his chance and momentarily lose focus on Tommy. It worked. He straightened and twisted away from the weapon, but when he went to turn, his foot was trapped by Barbara's, and he lost his balance. Tommy dived over the side into the water. Wyatt elbowed Barbara out of the way as he raised his weapon to fire at Lynley. She stumbled backwards against the boxes. Pain shot up her leg as she fell on top, but her weight was enough to lift the front of the rib clear of the water, shielding Tommy from view. Wyatt lost his footing and slid slowly down the aluminium deck towards her. With all the weight at one end, the zodiac's rear went under the water allowing the icy liquid to flood into the boat and the boxes of nerve agent to float free.

"Why you!"

Wyatt fell against her and reached for her Uzi. As they struggled, the gun discharged four shots which tore into the inflated rubber wall of the rib. As air wheezed out, the zodiac began to sink. Wyatt lunged for one of the boxes, moving his weight from on top of Barbara. As the deck gave way beneath her, she reached up. The back of her hand brushed rigid rubber. Spinning around, she grabbed the rope hanging over the side, and with all her effort, hauled her self onboard the other zodiac which was still afloat. Panting heavily she turned around and scanned the water for Tommy. He was about 10 yards away and swimming towards her. She smiled briefly before starting to fall backwards.

"Bitch!"

Wyatt was trying to climb aboard. He grabbed her head and rammed it against the outboard. The world went black.


	16. Chapter 16

Tommy heard Barbara's head hit the outboard with a sickening crack. Although he was beginning to feel numb, he fastened his stroke to reach her. The pain from his shoulder seared across his chest and down his arm. _Heart attack?_ "Not yet," he told himself, "not yet."

Wyatt knelt up and was trying to drag one of the boxes aboard. It was floating just beyond his reach. Each time he touched it, the box drifted away on the waves. Tommy swam hard and grabbed the rope handle on the other side. When he used his working arm to drag it further from the American's grasp, Wyatt tumbled into the water and disappeared.

He surfaced, gasping and swearing. "Leave it, Lynley. You should never have meddled in this."

Tommy's mind felt heavy. The water was near freezing, and he knew he had only minutes left before hypothermia, unconsciousness and death kicked in. Images of Barbara making love to him, the scene at Landsborough and his imagined future with her and two children flashed through his mind without logic. His whole being ached, but beneath it, a rage started to break through. He had to help Barbara, and he had to destroy the powder. To do that he had to live.

"Barbara." Tommy looked up, straining to hear any answer. There was none. The rib looked stable. The bullets had only destroyed one two-foot section of the inflated side. "Thank heavens for baffles," he muttered.

The zodiac was slowly drifting away. He kicked his feet and forced himself to swim. His left arm was nearly useless. Barely able to do a weak, one-armed sidestroke, he finally reached the boat. His hand slid down the wet rubber in a squeal like fingernails down a blackboard. He reached up again. His fingers touched the rope, and he kicked higher, allowing them to close around it. With only one arm, any movement was slow. He edged his way along until he was at the point where the rubber had collapsed. Again he kicked, giving him the elevation to roll onto the zodiac.

"Barbara." He slipped and slid as he tried to reach her. A pool of blood mingled with the water beneath her head. Fearing the worst, he leant down to listen for her breathing. "Thank God!" Her breathing was rapid and swallow, but it was there.

A hand closed around his ankle and dragged him backwards. He kicked and flailed. One kick landed a blow on Wyatt's face. Tommy felt the man's nose break and possibly some teeth. Wyatt released his leg. Tommy lurched forward out of reach. He knelt up and scanned the boat for a weapon, but the rib was devoid of anything to help him. He felt under Barbara's jacket. The Uzi was gone. Wyatt disappeared from view. For a second, Tommy hoped he had succumbed to the water.

With effort and pain, Tommy moved the red plastic fuel tank out of the way then pulled off his wet jacket and folded it as a pillow which he eased under Barbara's head. She had a bump and a cut, but to his relief her skull did not seem fractured. "You'll be okay, Barbara. Just hang in, there."

Exhausted, he sat beside her catching his breath and pondering what to do. He was shivering. Even out of the water they were in danger from the cold. Tommy struggled to keep his eyes open. "Focus... Focus..."

Tommy knelt up and looked around. Wyatt was bobbing in the water about twenty yards away holding onto the handle of one of the boxes. The second box was floating a further twenty feet to the left. Tommy brought his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair. It was only then that he noticed the engine's key and kill switch were still around his wrist. He scrambled over to the outboard. Inserting the key was hampered by his shaking hands. On the third attempt, he pushed it into place.

He pressed the starter, but nothing happened. "Come on; you damned temperamental piece of Japanese sh..." The engine fired the second time. He revved the coughing engine then spun the boat in a tight circle.

"Wait!" Wyatt yelled. "You can't leave me. I'll die."

"You tried to kill us. Why should I save you? So you can try again?"

Tommy's first instinct was to head for the shore and save Barbara, but he could almost hear her telling him to get the boxes.

"Get the boxes, Tommy. Finish the job we came here to do."

He paused. The voice seemed very real. He looked down to see Barbara staring back at him. "Barbara! You're okay."

"I wouldn't say that exactly."

She struggled to sit up by pulling on the rope around the rib. She made a funny noise then lurched up and vomited violently over the side. Tommy slowly spun the boat away from Wyatt to give her privacy while she reached over and washed her face in the water. The back of her head had a lump the size of a duck egg.

"I have to get you to hospital."

"No, the boxes." She thumped back onto the deck and reached up to touch her skull. "Ouch."

Tommy steered the boat towards the second box. "Can you take the outboard while I pull it in?"

"Yeah."

Tommy helped Barbara up to sit on the back of the rib. He unfastened the killswitch and attached it to her wrist. "Just keep it idling."

Tommy used his good arm to hook the handle of the box. It was awkward but not heavy as he pulled it out of the water and let it fall onto the floor. His cold fingers fumbled with the metal clips. Once undone, he slowly opened the lid and examined the contents. "There's a fancy respirator." He pulled it out and tossed it on the deck.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, material." He pulled it out and shook it. A heavy, rubber-impregnated forensic suit unfolded. "You should put this on to stay warm."

"Forget me. Any sign of the nerve agent?"

Tommy shook his head. "None. There's only some thin rope, a couple of large makeup brushes and about a dozen small metal empty jars."

"Are you sure they're empty?"

"Yes, they don't have lids on. It looks like this was the safety gear and dispersal system for mixing the powder and spores. The wretched biocide must be in the other box."

"Wonderful. We couldn't strike it lucky with the first one."

"We would have gone for the second anyway thinking they both had the stuff."

She nodded and sighed. "Yeah, true."

Tommy moved back and helped Barbara steer the boat back to Wyatt. Tommy reached over the side and seized the handle of the box and started to pull it. "Let go, Wyatt, you can't win."

"Nn...nnn...nnnn...ooo!"

Tommy looked at him. He was shivering uncontrollably and turning blue. Tommy sat on the edge of the rib. "Fine. We'll just wait a few minutes for you to die, then we'll take it anyway." Barbara kicked him in the shin. He looked over at her. "What?"

"He can tell us about the syndicate and who has the sub. You have to save him."

"How?"

"By not letting your temper rule your head. Pull him in."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm in charge of this operation remember? Oull him in."

"Yes, ma'am." Tommy grabbed the rope from the box and quickly knitted it around the rib's rope. He threw the end at Wyatt. "Let the box go, and you live."

Wyatt took the rope but still held the box. With Tommy's bad shoulder, he struggled to pull Wyatt closer. Eventually, the American released it and swam towards Tommy. The two weak men worked together and Wyatt was soon lying exhausted on the deck of the rib. Tommy sat on the side to recover his breath. The pain in his shoulder spread across his upper body. Every movement, every breath, hurt.

He turned when the engine stopped. Barbara was on her knees and crawled over. She snatched the rope from his hands with a muttered curse about half-doing a job. Tommy chuckled as she wrapped it around Wyatt's feet, threaded it around the line on the other side of the rib, grabbed his hands and knotted it around them and then to the rope beside his initial knot. Wyatt was too weak to object.

"That's a handy skill. Where did you learn to hog-tie?"

"I'm not taking any chances with the bastard."

"They're not proper maritime knots, Barbara. You might have to cut him free." She gave him a withering look and waved the end of the rope towards him. He understood her meaning.

"Let's get that box."

They motored over to the box. Tommy let Barbara help him pull it on board. She opened the clips and slowly pulled up the lid. "That's it?"

Tommy stared at the metal cylinder about the size of his forearm sitting inside a transparent perspex box held firmly in place by heavy grey foam. "It seems so."

"So, how do we destroy it?" she asked as she pulled the box out of its foam bed.

Tommy let out a long sigh then reached up and stroked her face. "Kiss me."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

Barbara shrugged but gave him a warm smile. Their lips met in a brief, tender kiss. "I love you, Barbara."

"I love you too, Tommy."

"I know." He pulled the box from her hands and rolled backwards off the boat.


	17. Chapter 17

"Tommy!"

He heard Barbara's cry as he rolled back into the water. It was cold - much colder than it had seemed earlier. Tommy took a deep breath and duck dived beneath the surface. The nerve agent was neutralised by water, but he was unsure that releasing it just beneath the surface was sufficient. What if some drifted to the surface? He could not take that risk with Barbara's life, and if winds carried it to the innocent people of Ilulissat, he would have killed them too. He would rather die than endanger others.

His ears began to ache as he kicked deeper. He tightened his thumb and forefinger over his nostrils and blew gently. His ears cleared with a sucking sound. He struggled deeper. The water was a dark but comforting sapphire. The light seemed to dance around, reflecting off the submerged ice. He swam towards the darkest patch of sea. A jolt of adrenaline ran through him as he realised he was disoriented. _Which way is up?_ He stopped and blew a small bubble of air from his lips. It went beneath him and expanded as it got further away. He was upside down. He somersaulted over until he was upright. With his feet down, he began to sink faster. He equalised his ears again then began to paddle his feet to tread water. He estimated he was about twelve metres down and sinking fast. He kicked off his shoes and kicked.

With only one functional arm and shivering in the cold, undoing the clip on the perspex box was more difficult than he thought. It took vital seconds. Holding his breath was something he had done a lot in the surf at Nanrunnel, but he was no longer fourteen and bulletproof. He desperately wanted to breathe. His chest was tight. He ignored it. When the lid fell open, he plunged his hand inside to retrieve the canister. His fingers sank into a gelatinous goo. The cylinder was encased in a further layer of protection. _Shit!_

He tugged at the canister until it came out of the box, which he allowed to fall away. Holding the metal in his crippled hand, he scraped frantically at the goo. It peeled away in chunks. Without a mask, the water distorted his vision. He felt around the cylinder trying to work out how it opened, cursing that he had not examined the box on the surface. It felt like it screwed open in the middle. That made no sense if it contained powder. His thoughts were slow and foggy. _Does it have to make sense? What in this whole case has made sense? Barbara._ He smiled.

Black tinged the edge of his vision. He could no longer feel his legs. Desperate for a taste of fresh, sweet air, he clamped the end of the canister between his knees and turned the top. At first, it resisted, then it gave and rotated freely. He pulled off the top half expecting the powder to float. Nothing happened.

His heart pounded in his head and his throat. _Breathe. Breathe._ His mind was urging him to free his body of pain. Barbara's face smiled at him. He looked at the canister. Inside was a glass tube full of white powder. He pulled it out. It was stopped by a wedge of black rubber. He gripped the rubber in his teeth and tugged.

A cloud of red surrounded him and merged into the blue. He had no idea if it was the nerve agent or if his insides had exploded. Everything in his body felt tight and yet numb. His lungs gave one last scream for him to breathe. He shook his head in defiance. He let out a small bubble of air and watched it rise. He kicked twice to try for the surface, but it was as if he was inside a giant wobbly raspberry jelly. His vision narrowed to a faint point of light. He frowned. _Is that an eye?_ He looked up into blackness. Barbara's face filled his mind. _Breathe. Breathe._

* * *

Barbara watched Tommy dive. She fought her instinct to jump in after Tommy. She knew it would kill them both. His best chance was having her to help him back onboard. She looked at the sky hoping the satellite's resolution was enough for them to lipread. "Don't do anything foolhardy they said. Don't be a hero they said." She shook her fists at them. "Well, where is the bloody help? What the hell was he supposed to do?"

She turned back to look for Tommy. Her hands gripped the rope on the rib's skirt in a death hold. Her breathing was furious and her head felt as if Big Ben was striking every second. Tommy was twisting and turning. His feet were flapping. Something fell away. "The box. Come on, hurry, Tommy."

"He'll die down there."

She turned to Wyatt. "If he dies, so will you. That I promise." She turned her attention back to Tommy. He was pulling at something but through the distortions of the waves, she could not see clearly.

"Tough words little lady. What exactly will you do without killing yourself?"

"If Tommy dies, I don't want to live." In those few words she had formulated a plan.

Barbara's eye caught movement to her left. She glanced up to see a black body rise from the water then plunge under. She ignored and turned back to Tommy. He seemed to be shuddering in the water, then a red stain spread around him. "Tommy!"

Barbara feared the worst as a black shadow moved under him. For a moment Tommy looked up and their eyes locked. She willed him to come to her. The black shadow darkened. Barbara screamed as it engulfed Tommy.

The red water obscured her view. Tommy suddenly surfaced. She reached out to him and grabbed his shirt. With energy and strength she did not know she had, she pulled him against the boat. He was heavy and did not seem to be breathing. The boat rocked. Tommy rose in the water. Barbara pulled, and his body thumped down on the rubber side. Red water gushed from his mouth. The boat rocked again. Tommy spluttered and fell forward on his face. He wheezed and gasped for air. His hand tore at his shirt that had ridden up around his neck. Barbara tried to pull him onboard. She felt watched. As she reached over the edge to swing his leg over the side, a huge eye stared at her. For a moment she and the eye stared at each other. She bowed. "Thank you," she added hoping the whale would understand.

The whale closed its eye and majestically slid away from the boat. Barbara did not believe in miracles, but she felt she had just witnessed one. It was impossible to tell if the whale understood, but staring into its eye, she had believed it knew. It had felt Tommy's distress and had saved him.

"Tommy! Can you hear me?" She thumped him on the back then rolled him on his side into the recovery position. He was coughing up water. It was red. _Blood?_ He looked uninjured, but his skin was patchy and blue. His breathing was fast and erratic.

Barbara took a deep breath. He needed warmth and a hospital. Barbara rummaged in the box and pulled out the rubber suit. She tore Tommy's clothes off as fast as she could and stuffed his limbs into the suit. She screamed in pain as she moved his arm. His eyes shot open before closing. He passed out. Barbara zipped up the suit and pulled the hood over his head. She pushed him up into a sitting position then stood and pulled him on top of Wyatt.

"What the hell are you doing?" The American wriggled but was held firm by the rope.

Barbara quickly lashed Tommy on top of him. "Getting him up off the cold deck and hoping that some of your body heat is put to good use."

"He's freezing."

"I know." Barbara rubbed the suit vigorously hoping that it might generate some warmth. Being dark rubber, she hoped that the sun might also help.

She moved to the outboard, put the key into the slot. After three curse-filled attempts, the engine fired. The beach was only a kilometre away, but Madison was probably waiting with a bullet for them. She revved the engine and headed towards the open bight, hoping that Ilulissat was just around the corner.

Tommy's chattering teeth and shuddering were audible over the engine. As Barbara rounded the point, she could see the fuel tanks in the distance. "Hang on, Tommy."

Barbara's head was on fire. It took all her energy to focus on the tanks and will the little zodiac forward. The day was bright, and the sun shone off the walls of the icebergs floating around her. She rounded one and thought how beautiful the yellow building on the shore was against the white.

"Yellow. Yellow." She turned the boat towards the building. "Hospitals are always yellow."

About 200 yards from shore, she heard the roar of a large outboard. She looked to her right. A large speedboat was beelining for her. She groaned. She was just about at the end of her patience. "Who now?"

The boat caught her just as she ran the zodiac up onto the beach. Armed men in black dive suits swarmed over; their guns pointed at her.

"Identify yourself," a tall blonde man said in flawless English.

"Detective Inspector Barbara Havers, London Metropolitan Police. And who the fuck are you?"

The man's head jerked back in surprise. "Hans Petersen, Danish Navy."

A shorter man to his left started talking into his shoulder. "Affirmative. Havers and two males."

"Now you turn up. About bloody time."

Hans lowered his weapon, but the three other men kept them trained on Tommy. "Who are they?"

"Tommy Lynley, my partner. He's on top. He needs urgent medical attention. The other is a terrorist."

Barbara looked up to see people running down the beach towards them. A young woman seemed to take charge. She flashed a light in Tommy's eyes, ordered them to cut him free, then shouted for two of the Danes to carry him to the hospital.

Barbara went to follow. She took three steps then fainted into the Hans' arms.

* * *

Yes, the whale does sound far-fetched, but I have seen them up close like that and you would swear they know.


	18. Chapter 18

"Tommy?"

A hand squeezed hers. "Barbara! Thank goodness you're awake."

"I... you... you were frozen." She tried to struggle up but her head hurt so she sank back into her pillow.

He laughed softly. "I thawed out. I'm fine."

"Your shoulder."

"They operated a couple of days ago. I'm trussed up like a Christmas Turkey but it will heal."

"A couple of days? But... we were just on the beach... there was a big, handsome Dane..."

"Handsome? They didn't tell me that. You collapsed. You have concussion. Severe concussion. You have been unconscious for four days."

"Four days?" Barbara looked around. She was attached to monitors. The room was unfamiliar, but pleasant. She could see the icebergs and ocean through a large window beyond the foot of her bed. "Where are you?"

Tommy frowned. "Here. I'm right here, Barbara."

"Where are you staying?"

Tommy smiled and pointed. "The next bed. Once I came around, I refused to let you out of my sight. They had to treat me in here."

"In a big warm bath?"

He shook his head. "Nothing so luxurious I'm sorry to say. Just between you and me, the nurse is rather rough with her bed baths. No, they are used to hypothermia here. They wrapped me in space blankets then hooked me up to a dialysis machine for hours with the lines running through a tub of warm water to heat my blood. I'll lose some skin on my fingers and feet, but no lasting damage."

Barbara suddenly lurched forward. "Wyatt. And Madison. Did they capture them?"

"Easy. Lie back. That's it. The Danes sent Wyatt to Copenhagen for interrogation. The CIA wants him, but the Danes have refused. I think MI6 are involved too. Madison was killed on the beach. Kati saw her shadow approaching with a gun drawn, so had no hesitation in shooting her. Kati was airlifted to Berlin for treatment, but the doctors told me they saved her leg."

"I'm glad. Do we know who Wyatt was working for?"

"I doubt we will be on the need-to-know list."

"Why not? We are the ones that nearly died saving the world."

"True, when you put it like that."

She shook his hand rather violently. "Why did you dive off the boat like that?"

"I didn't think I had a choice. If one canister of that stuff could have killed millions, I had to destroy it."

"You scared me half to death."

"I was worried if we released it under the surface, some would escape, and you'd die, or we'd wipe out Ilulissat. I couldn't take that risk."

"You nearly died, Tommy. Our instructions were not to be foolhardy."

Tommy squeezed her hand hard and nodded. He looked serious before a wry smile curled his mouth. "Says the woman who drives damaged zodiacs at top speed through a field of ice and tries to outrun Navy SEALs."

"I didn't know they were SEALs did I? I thought they might have been off that sub. Did they find it?"

"I'm told it suffered a catastrophic failure of the Greenland coast."

"A catastrophic failure?" She frowned. "Missile induced?"

"I would expect so. The Americans were apparently quite upset that the Brits and Danes refused to allow them to blow us out of water. So maybe they were happy to target the sub."

She smiled. "I'm very glad they didn't fire on us."

"So am I. And thank you."

Barbara blushed. "For what?"

"Saving me."

"I had help from a whale. Don't look at me like that. It pushed you to the surface and helped me get you on the rib."

"Right." Tommy patted her hand. "Well, thank you all the same. The doctor said putting me in that suit and keeping me off the deck probably made the difference."

"How's everything... down there?"

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "Er, seems fine. Why? We can't... Not here, and not until you get the all clear. But I appreciate your offer."

Barbara felt her face flush with colour. "It wasn't an offer, but when I took your clothes off your whale... was more of a seal pup. I was... worried it might have... been damaged."

Tommy laughed. "Would you like to inspect him to make sure?"

"Tommy! We're in hospital. They probably have CCTV on us or something."

"In downtown Ilulissat? I doubt it. Well then, you will just have to take my word for it until we are alone."

"When are we going home?"

Tommy chuckled again. "That keen to test him out? You can't fly for at least two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"The Doctor said at least that if you woke up today."

Barbara's head fell back into her pillow. "I don't want to stay in hospital for two weeks."

"I have taken care of that."

"How?" Tommy kissed her hand. "You'll see."

* * *

"Like it?"

"It's wonderful." Barbara looked around the room. Set on the outskirts of town, their private house sat atop a cliff that overlooked the ice. In the quaint style local style, it's cornflower blue exterior had the classic white trim. A little verandah looked over the town.

"Wait until you see the inside." She smiled to see him so excited.

"This is the living room."

The house's facade defied its interior. The walls and ceiling were lined with oiled timber that gave off a soft scent of pine. It seemed to be one open-planned room with a small but functional timber kitchen in one corner adjacent to an intimate dining nook built into the wall. Opposite was a large stone fireplace. In front of the fire was a soft leather couch. Barbara though could not draw her eyes from the window. Really, it was more of a wall of glass than a window. She wandered over to look. To the north, a peninsula of rock covered in scattered yellow and purple wildflowers jutted towards the distant Disco Island. To the south, the colourful town spilled over the rocks like a crazy patchwork quilt. Between them, the bight spread forever; the deep blue broken by blocks of ice that shone like crystals in the sunlight.

Barbara grinned at Tommy. "It's perfect. I'm glad we have to stay now."

"Wait until you see the bedroom. Come on."

Tommy opened the door into another world. The entire roof, coming halfway down the walls, was a dome of thick glass broken into large triangular panels that framed different views. "It's very private," Tommy said as if trying to reassure her. "No one can see in, it's one-way glass."

"So..."

He grinned at her. "So we can walk around naked the entire time if we want to."

"Handy to know. Is the lounge room glass the same?"

Tommy frowned. "I forgot to ask. I can ring the manager if you like."

She shook her head. "No, we can try it tonight."

Tommy came up behind her and put his good arm over her shoulder before giving her neck as gentle kiss. "You fancy wandering around naked do you?"

His voice was velvety and seductive. Barbara shivered. "I meant you can go out there and check. I wasn't planning to take my clothes off before then."

"Really? That's a pity." His breath tickled her neck.

Barbara looked around the room. The sun shone directly onto a large bed covered in thick furs. Barbara laughed then lifted them up.

"Hmm, you are keen."

"No... but I remember what you said. I am just checking it's a real bed and not an iceberg."

He laughed. "It's real. My iceberg fantasies have gone now. After the other day, I am happy to admire them from afar."

Barbara turned and threaded her hands around his waist. "And what about me?"

Tommy stepped closer. "You? I will admire you from very close range."

"Good."

They had exchanged a few brief kisses in the hospital, but knowing it could go no further; they had been restrained. With no restrictions, their kiss was fiery. Tommy's good arm held her close. She began to tug at his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans.

He broke the kiss. "Barbara, we need to get married right away."

"Now?"

"Not immediately. But today, tomorrow. I need you to be my wife."

Barbara leant back and frowned at his sudden change of mood. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just... when I died my only regret was that we weren't married and that our two children never lived."

"Died? Two children? Tommy, I'm the one with the concussion. You're making no sense."

"The doctors said I had died. They could tell from my ECG. You brought me back, Barbara. It has to be for a reason, and... I had a vision of us with two little boys. I want to marry you, resign from the Met and be happy." Tommy buried his face in her shoulder. His arm caressed her back.

With her hands on either side of his face, she pulled his head up so she could look at him. "Oh, Tommy. I'm so sorry. That must have been scary to learn. I didn't ever think you were dead. You just needed help to breathe. I love you. More than anything. Of course, I will marry you, but I had already told you that."

Tommy's eyes were brimming with tears and happiness. "I know, but that was abstract. I want to make it a reality, and... I have a confession."

Barbara froze. His voice had an ominous edge, and he looked concerned. "Tommy?"

"When they were trying to work out what drugs to give you, the doctor asked if you might be pregnant. I said it was possible, so the doctor did a blood test. I was going to let you discover it yourself, but I can't keep it in. We are going to have a little Lynley."

Barbara sat on the edge of the bed. "Oh."

"You're disappointed."

She looked up and smiled and took his hand. "No. No, I'm not. I'm... delighted, but after what happened, it's so early. What if... something happens?"

"It won't." He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't ask me how I know, but I do. When Helen was pregnant, it never seemed real. I never believed I was going to be a father. This time it's different. And, if I'm wrong, then it will happen in the future. I don't want you worrying about it."

"What are we going to tell Hillier and Winston?"

"The truth. We saved the world, found each other and are going to disappear into the distance and live happily ever after. After we go via Denmark for our award dinner."

"Denmark? Awards?"

"The Danes are honouring us. I haven't shown you the news yet, but we have been on the front page for a few days." Tommy pulled out his iPad. "They unloaded our luggage from the ship. Here, look."

"Oh, great." She read the article. "Long-term partners Superintendent Thomas Lynley and Detective Inspector Barbara Havers... who according to Assistant Commissioner Hillier are engaged to be married... How did he know?"

Tommy winced. "I told him when he rang. I also told him we intended to resign." He screwed up his face in a mea culpa pose. "With immediate effect."

"Tommy!"

"I thought we were. I was still cold and worried about you. I wanted to get rid of him and his supercilious praise."

"I'm unconscious for four days and look what happens. I wake up to find I have no job, the Danes are going to hold some slap-up dinner for us, and I'm pregnant. Do you have any more 'surprises' for me?"

"No, that's it. Except that they are probably going to award us with something at home too, but I don't have any details. Are you angry?

She sighed. "No. No, I'm not angry. I guess it is better to be in the open. It's just a lot to take in. My head is aching again."

"Here, lie down. Can I get you water or something?"

Barbara reached up and stroked his face. His face shone with open adoration. She had seen those eyes before too, on many occasions. Now his face matched them. She smiled at him. "No, just you. I only need you."

Tommy joined her on the bed and snuggled her against him. "That's good, Havers because I am nothing without you."

She slid her hand under his shirt. "Then Sir, you had better prove it."

"With pleasure." Tommy grinned then kissed her.


End file.
